


Below human noses

by TheGhostOfGayz



Category: Gay - Fandom, Mythology, faeries - Fandom, nonbinary characters - Fandom, werewolves - Fandom
Genre: Faeries - Freeform, M/M, Poachers, Skinwalkers - Freeform, Werewolves, Witches, coyote shifters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:28:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23981584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGhostOfGayz/pseuds/TheGhostOfGayz
Summary: Theo finds a fox running from trouble. when he finds that trouble tends to chase he decides to help the lovable enbi.Consuelo's one and only child has gone missing, and tearing through heaven and hell to find her.Could these scenarios be related?
Relationships: Author x therapy, Mags x wilde, Theo x Consuelo (OC)
Kudos: 1





	1. Lost child, found child

**Author's Note:**

> Based in Alaska because the animals and folklore are not relevant in my country so if I write Alaska wrong please correct me or give me fun ideas in the comment section.  
> Mentions and probably descriptions of blood, gang/pack wars and animal poaching.

"We'll find them, and when we do...I'll kick their ass back just so we can find them again.".

. . .

My name is Theo Patel. I'm a mechanic who gets the odd jobs every now and then.  
27 years old and not an interesting person to the naked eye. Hell, even my friends have to stay quiet if they want to hear me. The only time I go out is when I need to run or want to buy groceries for the never ending stomachs of my friends and I; which is great, including the fact that I have my workshop next to my house, my cousin hooked me up before they commit suicide - not going into that but vampires. 

Long story short, I’m a Coyote shifter. A half breed due to my father who...*cough* 'settled' down with a lady he had no intentions of actually settling down with,  
That's not how Coyote shifters usually act but it is how useless drifters act, so yeah absent father and human mother. Can't complain about her but we don't talk- to give you an indication of our relationship. She never forgave my father and, seeing as I look just like him, she hasn't forgiven me for it either.

I try to avoid humans anyway. In high school a bunch of teen-faced Fae found me and basically made me the mascot/friend of the group. While they are basically my only family, they have priorities and tend to disappear for years at a time- I blame the immortal bliss, they don't age and therefore time is an illusion and I'm but a dog to entertain them till I die. Probably not the nicest way of putting it but such is life. For me anyway.

Right, the reason I'm telling this: It started with a fox shifter-hybrid, stinking of blood, on my doorstep.

. . .

“Shit,” Theo picked up the slightly heavy creature, feeling the blood trail down his arms and stain his shirt as he carried them to the shop. Standard survival, wounded creatures (when conscious) will do anything to stay alive, so if he needed to kill/knock it out humanely, a workshop with an abundance of tools would be the best place for it.  
Theo grabbed the first aid kit and immediately got to bandaging the rasping animal.

“You’re gonna be fine, it’s not deep,” Whether they responded consciously or not, he won’t know. A sniff of the fox had Theo stumbling; how had he not noticed? The thing had no tail! "Skin walker," He barely whispered. A skin walker is in his house, a mother fucking thief of skins and killer of anything it finds. Theo's throat closing and sweat mixing with drops of rain on his forehead." Shit, fuck...what.." He caught his breath, moving back to the bleeding fox. It still smelled like a shifter; meeting dozens upon dozens of shifters will help you differentiate between a normal animal and a shifter. “Apply pressure, stop the blood flow,” He checked their eyes, dilated “Tilt head to side,” Theo kept going over things that he could do for a human, even going so far as to search how to treat foxes on his laptop. All it came up with was steps on getting a fox to a vet but seeing as that wouldn't be able to happen without revealing everything to the human world.  
All the Coyote shifter could think about was how they were both a shifter an a skin walker. Perhaps genetics? 

Eventually the best Theo could do was let them sleep in an old blanket for the time being.  
“There is a skin walker in my garage, and I’m going to freaking die if their parents or...oh shit,”  
Theo's nose was fairley good (By wolf standards blind, but impressive compared to most coyote’s), but sometimes the faintest of things sometimes flew past him and he’d never remember.  
There wasn't much to smell other than blood, but the smallest slither of Diazepam (sedation). The bite mark was small, dog sized so definitely not a vampire, the last thing they would do is start another gang war. Could be a Fae curse, or even a hungry maine coon.  
“What did you do?” Theo asked the skin walker, knowing well enough that it would wake within an hour. “Food." He again said aloud, "Food so that you don’t steal or go looking for some,” He left for the kitchen next door, making sure to lock the door, and be back within 5 minutes. 

. . .

“Where the fuck is my child!” Consuelo was on the phone to several gangs that opposed or were even rumoured to oppose him. Consuelo is a stable, if not rich person, But he prides himself on his compassion and humanity, or lack thereof.  
He’s not human, and no one he’s been friends with ever was or remained. Even his daughter, Kory was a shifter like him, half fox on their mother's side, though Consuelo would argue her being of witch descent -They’re divorced and not on speaking terms.

Consuelo is all wolf, born and bred. The leader of a “Gang” Though he definitely prefers family or pack because that’s how he packs work. Hell, packs are pretty much just over expanded family who live close together. That wasn't the case for Consuelo's pack, the northern grey's, since Consuelo was an only child and a pack leader, he mostly adopted strays and lone wolves, some usually bring in their friends too. 

Essentially it's a tight knit of chosen family. But "Gang" is the cover so that’s how it stays.  
The 28 year old was pulling at his brown hair so much he feared it would straighten.

Pinching his nose he tried talking again, calmer, without snarling or any of that wolf shit,  
“My kid went out for 2 hours and he hasn’t been back in 5. No she is not like that, look- Hey!” The actual head witch was suggesting that Kory was just doing ‘kid’ stuff. “I know my kid, they have asthma for fucks sake, they wouldn’t smoke! Thank you. Yes, thank you, good bye,”  
He slammed the phone down, grabbing the keys to his car and driving around for the 6th time.

“Roy, Ashley! Stay here and keep your phones on in case they come back!” He didn’t stay to hear them yell back “Sure thing, Bro!”.

Lap number 12 and nothing. Kory is lost, not answering any of the 14 calls and 34 texts that he sent. “Come on…” Consuelo kept praying as he tapped his fingers on the wheel.  
The last thing he wanted was for his child to sleep cold, on the streets, out for the predators to find. Lord knows kids are the easiest prey, no matter how smart Kory is, they aren’t the best fighter.

“Korry, hey it’s Dad again, I’m driving around that dairy near your school, call me as soon as you can, I’m really worried, so is Mum...answer before she calls me please.”  
Another voicemail updating where he is so that Korry can find him.  
He received calls about Korry’s whereabouts, just people asking if he knew that his own bundle of joy was missing. Lovely.  
Consuelo felt like he should’ve kept Korry on a leash. Cruel as it is, he would’ve preferred that to stressing over whether Kory is hurt or kidnapped.

To say he was overreacting would be rude and wrong, kidnappings for young wolves/half breeds are embarrassingly common. Shit even human mothers are known to reign hell if they’re child gets the wrong order of food.  
It's either government people or power hungry gangs.  
Maybe even a human problem, like all those...child...oh fuck; he needed to find Korry.

The fox was awake by the time Theo got back, they gingerly picked at the tape and bandages on their side, but one poke to the bruise and they avoided touching their stomach entirely. “Good to see you’re awake,” Theo startled them, their eyes frantic and body poised to run or attack. “Calm down, I patched you up; give me your parent’s number and they can pick you up,” They didn’t speak, Theo passed them a ham sandwich. “Did they get your tongue too?” He tried to smile for the kids sake, but it may have come off too threatening for them, even if Theo didn’t bare his teeth.  
10, 12 at most, black hair and almond eyes.  
“Do you want me to call the police?” Theo didn’t want to as they weren’t the cleanest when dealing with packs or clans. But if there’s a chance the kid’s being abused… 

“No.” They spoke, throat hoarse and eyes welling up. Theo nodded, handing them a bottle of water.  
“What do you think we should do? Is there someone I can call? A place you can go?” They stayed quiet, only thinking before shaking their head, shaggy black hair tussling with it.

Theo breathed, thinking of something he could do. The kid smelled almost exactly like a skin walker and he didn’t know any skin walkers, only 1 wolf pack and a few witches. Theo’s foot bounced up and down as he tried to think of something to do.  
“Well, I live just next store, I can let you shower, and stay the night before we decide on anything?” It took them a minute before they stood up and followed him out the door.

“You only had your shirt and shorts when I found you, so you can warm up in one of my hoodies and we’ll set you up for the night, maybe even get out some ice cream; Sound okay?”

They smiled, nodding and uttering a “Yes please,”  
Theo went into camp leader mode, where he got all of his training with troubled kids. Too bad most of that training was for humans; he had to learn how to help others by trial, error and stolen calls to friends.  
< /p>

‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep, safety above all, police can’t always help but if it comes down to it you might have to call someone.’  
“What’s your name?” Theo called from the bathroom.  
“Dylan!” They yelled back. 

Shifter etiquette is different to skin walker that much Theo knew, so far Dylan has looked Theo in the eye 3 times, meaning they weren’t raised by wolves, their neck is way too vulnerable for the fox to know any vampires (they love protecting their friends) Theo can’t think of anything other than human stuff to help the kid feel better.  
They’re a fox shifter but they smell so much like a skin walker. It’s hard to place the smell but Theo just knew.

...


	2. cold cages and freaking out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kory manages to call her dad and give a vague description of where they are, while Dylan does their best to stop Theo from calling the police. No offence police.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow you made it to chapter two, thank you.   
> Again I'm using google maps to help with locations, if something sounds made up it definitely is (though I'm still doing research) so not the most factually correct but this is a story about animal shifters and Fae.

Dylan was sitting in the bath, which thankfully gave Theo breathing room and some time to think.  
Time to call someone. 

“Hey, Mags. I know, I know. I’m good; miss you too. Look, I need help- No, none of that,” Mags was notorious for her love of dead bodies. “Just...a fox...Mags they’re like 10, they aren’t even a fan of blood!” Incredulous, he kept explaining to the uninterested Fae.  
“Just ask around, see if you can find any leads without provoking anyone, please,” He drew out the please, feeling like an idiot for begging but he needed the stench of skin walker out of his house before anything curious poked around. “Mags you’re the best! And please, please be careful; yes, love ya too, bye.” Theo hung up the phone, pinching the bridge of his nose before turning the TV off. 

The coyote put out a quilt and duvet for the couch, sparing no pillows except the ones already there. His mind darted back to the fox lying on the porch of his garage, blood flattening most of the fur while the rest stuck up in all directions, eyes open and closing as they tried desperately to stay awake to run away.  
Now that he was thinking about it, where were they hurt? They were tired enough to have been walking or running for a while, maybe an hour or 2 at most…  
Theo went out his back door, peering over the fence to the side of his garage shop.  
Nothing. Not even after a full circle around the shop did he find anything or suspicious.  
No smells, not prints or knives, needles. Nothing. 

“What were you doing?” Theo asked aloud, not looking for a response yet as Dylan was still soaking.  
“Okay.” Theo announced himself as he walked back into the living room. Dylan sat on the couch in their shorts and Theo’s red hoodie, their hair still damp. “You’re going to need to tell me what you can so that I can help you...okay?” Dylan didn’t respond, only going further into their shell like before.  
“Can you tell me what hurt you?” Theo took the sneakers off and lay them next to his feet.  
Dylan fidgeted, eyes not leaving Theo, unblinking and breathing shallow.  
“I’m going to help you; please,” He felt like he was saying that a lot tonight.  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see them...sorry. They tried to drag me into their truck but I kicked them a bunch of times, and accidentally shifted in front of them, that’s when they bit me,” Dylan kept their eyes on the ground, doing their best not to cry or seethe with anger/humiliation.  
“Alright, where did they try to kidnap you?” Theo did his best to keep his voice level and soft. The last thing Dylan needed was to be interrogated but for safety reasons that’s what’s happening.  
“Wellington street, at the bus stop,” Dylan paused “I was going to see my mum.”  
Theo heard the kettle calling, “Did you want me to take you to her?”  
Dylan shook their head immediately, hands in fists and shoulders tensing “No.” they didn’t bother to say anything other than that.  
Theo, breathed through his nose, pushing down his frustration. “Can I ask why? We need to get you somewhere safer,”  
The fox, now defensive, folded their arms. They had a plan but wasn’t going to tell Theo of it any time soon. 

It’s dark and the metal is cold on her back, poking through her jumper and piercing her skin lightly. She shot up from her sleeping position, hitting her head at the cage top.  
“Oww…” She groaned, rubbing her head, then cheek and lightly touching her eye; all bruised. Likely scared from all the kicking and biting. “Why…?” Kory’s head pulsed, the head ache growing as she gained more consciousness. She appeared to be in a cage, and the cage in a car boot; she can’t kick the tail lights out thanks to the bars, but maybe if she moves around enough someone will pull the car over.  
Kory shook the cage, eliciting nothing. She huffed, the action hurting her side.  
The familiar weight in her pocket reminded her of the most popular way to get help: calling.  
Consuelo couldn’t sleep, he didn’t want to. He needed his child back home, where he could watch movies, throw balls to and back. How could he explain himself?  
The man moved from the spot on his couch to the end of his bed. “Should I just...sniff them out?” Right after he spoke his phone began ringing.  
Consuelo answered it immediately, not bothering to look at the caller ID. 

“Hello?” He asked tiredly. 

“Dad!!” A voice Consuelo yearned to hear from all night. Their voice was hushed, but urgent. 

“Kory! Where are you! What happened, I’m coming to get you!”

“Dad, I don’t know where I am, I’m in the back of a car and all I can smell is rain and petrol, please find me-! The call ended, to him it sounded like something interrupted Kory, making her hang up. 

Consuelo growled, unintentionally shifting. “Whatever,” He thought. “On foot.”  
The large wolf sniffed around the pavement, making sure to stay out of sight, but near where Kory would have been.  
His chest hurt, guilt and worry consuming his heart, “Just keep going, don’t lose the scent,” Consuelo told himself.  
Kory couldn’t tell him anything about the car or where he was...petrol, rain. They said they could smell rain.  
Shifting back to his clothed self, Consuelo pulled his phone out of the back pocket and opened the weather app.  
Searching for where it rained. In a 5 hour radius.  
It rained in Galena, sutton alpine and manley...manley. Consuelo could risk a check in Manley, where the river from Tanana could carry anyone to the edge of Alaska.  
If Kory got out of Alaska…  
Consuelo wouldn’t let that happen. Not willingly. No fee too large or river too long, He’d see his only child again and hold them till college.  
He cleared his throat and dialled a new number. “Tunu,” His tone grave. “I’m calling in that favour, bud,”.


	3. Plans and poachers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dylan wants to leave on their own, but seeing as they are a literal child, that won't be happening.  
> Korry wakes up so any child or animals nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh I have most of this already written but as soon as I edit it on here I hate aaaaallllllllll of it.  
> Disclaimer: I'm still learning about skin walkers so I am so sorry if I get stuff wrong,,,, please correct me.

"If you even think of coming near him I'll shove that gun where-"

"Hey, maybe don't piss of the guy with the knife at my FUCKING NECK.!

. . .

Dylan woke up to a silent unloved house. Barely lived in; one couch, and a glass table for where a TV would eventually sit. Not letting themselves feel ‘Safe’ or ‘Comfortable’ they stood up, sniffing around for the man that had taken them in for the night.  
The jumper around them smelt weird, very musky and something like vinegar.  
Dylan hummed, finding the door separating the coyote shifter and the fox. 

They knew that the coyote knew of their species. “Skin walkers” people would call them, knowing nothing of the obscenity that Skin walkers actually were. Once beautiful creatures, cursed for vanity or something and forced to borrow the skin of the very species that hunted them for sport.  
The only relation Dylan’s kind had to skin walkers was the birth of their species.  
Skin walkers most love foxes, and the foxes them; They bred so often that no one could look at a fox without thinking “Skin walker”. Though Dylan felt for the foxes, they did not feel for flesh peelers who damned themselves rather than fleeing from humanity the first time.  
One look outside assured the fox that they were still on track. All they had to do was make it to Tua and then they could take them from there.  
“Morning,” The coyote walked in from the entrance of the hallway, going straight for the shelf above the fridge.  
“Thank you for helping me, I’ll grab my clothes and be out of your fur,” Dylan chuckled, throwing finger guns at the still waking man.  
His head turned up too fast, eyes narrowed, setting the Fox off balance “Where’re you going, I’ll drive you after we eat.” He made no room for argument, further unsettling Dylan.  
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it, I’m just gonna meet my buddy Tua and he’ll drive me from there,” their voice, no doubt shaky, trying and failing to sound positive and promising.  
“Tua, your buddy?” he asked, leaning against the counter and staring Dylan down. “What does he look like? You known him long?”  
Nothing worse than adults trying to get into a kid’s business.  
“Tua’s got my phone; I’ve known him since last year,” The man had since started making eggs, hmm-ing his distrust in Tua.  
“So after I take you to Tua, he’s gonna take you to your mum?” he put toast down the toaster and turned around to face the fox.  
“Yup, he’s my mum’s friend, but my best friend!” Dylan had that childish arrogance about them, but they also had a glint in their eye that screamed trouble. “What’s your name anyway?”  
“Theo Patel.”

. . .

Mist layered over the snow as a truck drove through the rain and snowfall in Liven good. Consuelo would be lying if he said he hadn’t been pushing 100km on the road.  
“Get to Manley, find Tunu, find Kory and kill whoever the hell-” His knuckles tightened to the point his fingers hurt on the worn wheel. The wolf's back sore and legs tense, he was more likely to burn out had he been the average man. What’s the point in having a great nose when you can’t find anyone with it?  
Road games hadn’t worked during the first hour so Consuelo tried his hardest to imagine why someone was kidnapping his kid and how to get her back if they were less than sensible.  
He had his check book ready, and had called for his pack to meet in Manley with Tunu.  
Why? Why, he wondered, no gang had offered any explanation, suspecting it to just be an average kidnapping/human trafficking. He wanted to vomit at the thought of it.  
Trees and trees flew past as Consuelo pressed harder on acceleration, fighting to keep his cool.  
“One more hour,” He bargained with himself. “One hour or less till Manley-” A ringtone interrupted his one sided conversation.  
“What is it?” He asked, anger ripping into his words, not enough to annoy his second apparently.  
Zendaya panted through the phone “Hey, we’ve been running since you called, we’re almost there, but-”  
“But what?” no room for error, none. Every second and these guys were closer to getting away.  
“Scouts from Rampart spotted a heavy boat, she’s headed straight for Tanana; the crew spoke something about a Fox escaping it 8 hours ago, Wilde followed it, she said that they looked just like Korry, but most of us thought otherwise, either way she’s pursuing by foot.  
The rest of us suspect Kory’s on the boat now and we’ll change course at your word,” Zendaya was patient with Consuelo, known for thinking before leaping-that being a rare trait for their species, Consuelo more than grateful for her.  
“Half of you follow it, you leading the half toward the boat, I want the others going straight to Tunu’s, don’t start anything unless news about Korry or the boat comes in.”  
“Got it, stay safe, and calm, we’re going to find her before they can do anything,” Zendaya quietened if only for him. As a pack everyone cared about everyone, they were family, one of the tightest packs they’d seen in any of their days.  
“You too, Keep the peace.” Consuelo hung up, feeling better and worse.  
They’re either Fox poachers or fox shifter hunters, both of which left a nasty taste on Consuelo’s tongue; he’d skin them himself.  
Korry, a 10 year old little girl...she had claws but what use were they against poachers.  
Poachers.  
Consuelo called Tunu, the burly man coughing as he answered with a “Hello?”  
“Have we contacted anyone about a boat of poachers approaching Tanana?”  
“So far we’ve called the park reserve and the police, but…” Tunu mumbled his indifference “You know how police can be,”  
Indeed. Too many times the Wolf Packs had to rely on themselves, almost never receiving help from clans of the other creatures.  
Wolves were the majority, but that didn’t make them popular, if anything they were envied for how resilient they were at surviving in Alaska. Or maybe that was their ego talking.  
“Call everyone, please.”

. . .

Since being hauled into a cage, Korry put all her mother’s training to the test.  
She wasn’t alone. Dozens of cages, stacked atop each other, filled with other foxes like her.  
Most were sleeping, or pretending to, while the others were chewing at the locks.  
Any time the door opened, Korry saw a sliver of the forest around them. From the way the room swayed beneath her, she’d guess she was on a boat. Why a boat. Why was she here?  
She’d been forced to change skin and had her belongings stolen from her. No way of calling her dad now, though she doubted she’d have service anyway.  
“I see you got caught again,” Korry’s neighbour growled, unimpressed.  
“Again?” she asked, facing the white fox, doing her best not to stare.  
“Oh,” They stood up, moving around their cage and talking again “I thought you were someone else. A kid, looks just like you, they got out ages ago, it was great,”  
“How’d they do it?” Korry begged, ears preening,  
The white fox shook their head “Played sick, when they opened the cage they leapt out, but they’re not taking chances anymore. Any sick fox can die as long as they don’t take the rest of us with them,”  
Korry paused, thinking “What are they going to do to us,” She hoped and prayed with everything she had that she’d see her family again.  
“We’re being sold, some of us may be skinned, stuffed, or hunted for sport,”  
A cage collided with the white fox. “Hey, they’re a kid! At least sugarcoat it.” the lady scolded  
“Prove me wrong!” The white fox hit back. They pawed at each other through the bars for a short while.  
“Our families are coming for us,” The fox under added in.  
“If they find us,” Another fox deadpanned.  
“My dad’s a wolf. Our pack will be here in no time,” Korry said, trying to believe it herself.  
“A wolf?” The white fox sneered “How does that work?” No question in their tone or fierce body language.  
“He’s my dad.” She answered simply.  
Harsh banging on the door and a man came in. “Shut up! Or we’ll gut you like that cheeky fox!” they had a British accent.  
No cage moved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck I hope these are long enough chapters.
> 
> also I feel like I should explain the little titbits that I put at the start of a few chapters at a time. 
> 
> Basically,,,,,,future shit that I'm still working out that I can't wait to use. honestly at this point I'm open to suggestions.


	4. faith trust and what the fuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ROAD TRIP! ROAD TRIP! ROAD TRIP WITH A DEER!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sister kicked me to wake me up this morning so,  
> if anyone wants a free sister then I am selling mine on trade me, bidding starts at 4pm yesterday. 
> 
> best wishes.  
> Do. not. feed. after. midnight.
> 
> also if it wasn't clear Consuelo's POV is a little earlier than Theo's but only by a few hours. so sorry if it's confusing.

Theo was riddled with bad feelings. In so many ways this could go wrong.  
But without a clear red flag he couldn’t do anything but make sure he saw Dylan off with Tua.

“Stay out of trouble, Dylan,” Theo smiled his goodbye to the kid. “Make sure your mum looks at your wounds too,”  
“Thanks, mister. You don’t have to worry about me again,” Dylan hopped out the ute and walked into the house, waving as they reached the door. They went in, not for long before he came running back out.

“Um...hey, Theo?” The fox called out, their face gaunt and afraid. “C-could you come here?”  
Theo was out in an instant, suddenly grateful for the knife in their boot.  
The door to Tua’s house was in two broken pieces on the tiled floor. “They got him too.” Dylan whispered, stepping back.  
“Shit,” Theo cursed, “Car. Now.”. 

He knew this was bad, there were so many signs. “Dylan who kidnapped Tua!” Theo demanded, heading out of the street. Can he go home?  
The house was in ruin, there was definitely a struggle and more than one person had gone to get Tua.  
“Is Tua like you?”  
“Yes,” Dylan was close to tears. Crap, shit, child crying is the last thing Theo could handle.  
“Okay, okay, we just need a plan. I’ll drive you to your mum’s and then we’ll work out whether we can get Tua or not.”  
“We have to get Tua first! I know what’s happening to them! They’re hunters-” Theo almost swerved at hunters, lord knows they love coyote skins.  
“They’re hunting you...do you know where?”  
“The hunters found me at home and took me to the Yukon river-” Dylan sniffled “We were stuck in cages for hours,”  
Yukon river, cages, and hunters… “Dylan, I think..” They’re being sold. He couldn’t tell them that, they’re like 10. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but we need to stop them.”

After calling Mag’s crew and asking them to search around, call police or just...something, Theo knew he’d need more than just faeries to hunt the hunters.  
“Do you know where they might be now?” he asked, trying to calm the fox down. 

“They wouldn’t have moved much, the boss said he needed at least 8 more before sailing to Beijing,” 

Theo hummed, checking his gas again before he could think about filling up. “What’s in Beijing?” 

“Don’t ask me, I played dead before they could talk anymore.”

The coyote laughed, “That’s how you got out? That’s incredible!” Dylan started laughing too. Talking about how mad the hunters were as they escaped through the trees.  
“I could hear the others laughing at them too; almost wish I saw how angry they were,”  
They paused, breathing “I still feel bad for leaving, I could’ve taken them down.”  
“Maybe, but you came for help, which was smarter than facing those gunslingers alone,”  
Dylan’s stomach growled. The two had been driving since seeing the disarray in Tua’s house at 10am. It was now 1pm.  
“Stay in the car, I’m going to refuel,” Theo chucked a nut bar from his food stash at Dylan and hopped out, grabbing the fuel from the ute trunk and began refilling.  
Dylan knew that bored was the last thing they should be right now. They’d escaped the clutches of hunters with a bite wound in the side, ended up half dead on someone’s doorstep after running for two days with little rest and were now driving with a complete stranger, (granted he is also a minority species like them), to find the only father figure in Dylan’s life.  
But they were utterly bored. Hungry for anything but nut bars and pieces of gum.  
It didn’t help that Theo wasn’t good at talking, and the man seems to believe that being twelve is like being five- useless. Can a five year old run for two days?? No, because they’re whiny.  
Theo was just about done, he even relaxed a bit, from what Dylan could tell.  
His back to the trees behind them, it’d be easy for something to just leap out from the green and charge for them both. Especially with the up rise of hunters this week. Animals will be on the defensive. 

A deer was looking at them, Dylan was about to point it out, like “Look, food!” or “Hey a deer!” but the deer charged before the fox could react.  
The antlers were millimetres away before the coyote swiftly spun and caught them, pushing at the deer. 

“What should I do?” They yelled from the car window, claws threatening to rise. 

“Stay in the car,” Theo grunted at the weight, barely smiling as if trying to show it was easy to fight a deer taller and heavier than him.  
Finally the deer used Theo’s grip against him by tilting its head back and throwing Theo to the grass on the side of the road. Dylan jumped out of the car, shifting on the road.  
“Really?” the coyote barked, more annoyed than afraid, “In the snow?” The deer seemed to laugh as it was making a donkey like sound and showing its teeth in a grin.  
“Dylan, this is the pain in my butt, also known as Mags.” 

Said Mags transformed with a blur of light, bowing sarcastically as a human like being.  
“Mm-yes,” They spoke with a mock royal voice. “The king of farts sent for my assistance,” 

Theo smacked them upside the head upon hearing ass. Sniffing at the Fae, Dylan returned to don their human form.  
“Hi,” Dylan reached their hand out to shake with the Fae girl. Human from a distance, but she was tall, with pointy ears and pointier teeth.  
The Fae girl shook their hand, giving them a chance to admire her claws (yes they were definitely claws), covered in matte red and black nail polish. She had a very alternative punk style, aside from her mousy brown hair, she wore bright green contacts, a red and black striped tank top with rips pretty much everywhere and plain blue jeans covered in red and green stains. 

“My sisters have seen Jeeps and minivans driving around, coming in from sagwon and driving parallel to the river, and one of our siblings, Joey, said they saw a wolf close to the river. She’s from Fairbanks, most likely one of Consuelo’s, but they looked more like one of Shelia's lackeys.”  
“Why would she be doing around there? Think it’s personal business with hunters?” Theo asked.  
Dylan had half a mind to run at the mention of wolves. 

“Doubt it...can I talk to you?” Mag’s craned her neck towards the right side of the road, the thicker trees, better for hiding.  
Theo hesitated, eyes shifting to Dylan then the trees, calculating.  
The fox scoffed, grabbing Theo's arm like a jealous child. “You are talking to him,” Dylan smiled, baring teeth.  
Given that they were a child and in a desperate situation, Dylan assumed they’d be given a pass for bratty behaviour. Mag’s, as it seemed, wasn’t a fan of children, or in their case, a skin walker.  
She dragged Theo towards the trees. A growl reverberating from her. 

“Where’s the tail.” She asked,

“I-” The fae pointed a finger at me, silencing me. 

“You didn’t tell me the kid’s a skin walker.” Mag’s hissed. “We can’t deal wit-with some skin walker parent bashing our doors in! What were you thinking!” with every word from her mouth she spoke faster and faster, breathing erratic and shallow. 

“We ditch the kid and that’s exactly what we’re asking for.” Theo cleared “Hunters are targeting foxes. Who’s to say they’ll stop there?” 

“We don’t know that,” Mag’s growled again. “My family is following them from a distance, I’m not getting them all buddied up with wolves or skin walkers.”

“You know what we do know?” Theo stepped closer, in no way was he trying to be intimidating to the fae, the forest was more on her side than his. “A grown Fox shifter’s house was broken into, everything broken. Hunters are more likely to set traps rather than kidnapping. They’re desperate; they left Dylan with a bite mark, bleeding out at my garage!”  
Mag’s stepped closer, to anyone else it would look like they were challenging each other. 

“They bit Dylan?” Her words were soft, lethal, an anger hidden for unspoken reasons.  
She was losing patience.  
“I’m calling my family away from there, you and I will find the hunters by car,” Mag’s walked past Theo, going straight for the ute.  
“Thank you,” Theo’s shoulders loosened, turning to get to the car as well. “What are we going to do about the wolf?”  
Mag’s snorted “Stay away from it?” She said obviously “I don’t need another pack sniffing down my neck,”  
“To be fair…” Theo began, a grin clear in their voice.  
“Finish that and I’ll put you in the hole with him.”

. . .

Has Consuelo mentioned how much of a jewel Tunu was as a friend? Not even 2 hours since arriving and Consuelo had been spoiled like a baby.  
being set up for the night on the comfiest known to wolf. and the morning was just as pleasant. 

“Tunu, love you, but seriously it’s not that cold; turn off the heater.”

Tunu scrunched his nose, setting his second cup of coffee down and checked through the curtains again.  
“You sure no one followed you? I swear I heard a bunch of rabbits when you pulled up,”

“Like a bunch of rabbits would pose any problem?” Consuelo quirked an eyebrow and sipped their cup of coffee. 

“C’mon, man. My mum was really superstitious, you know why I’m worried,”

The two said at the same time “Because she warned us constantly,”  
Tunu flipped the bird at Consuelo, still moving around the room, doing daily chores “I’m serious.”

“And I’m serious on the inside,” the wolf adjusted the pillows on the couch, clearly searching for distractions.  
Consuelo needed to know why the boat stopped moving. Why Kory could no longer call him, why none of the cushions matched on Tunu’s couch. 

“No one followed me,” Consuelo told himself, tearing himself away from the couch and fluffy blanket, he walked to the back of the house.  
The forest was still, eerie but peaceful. Everything was waiting, watching with bated breath as the sun rose to a cloudless day.  
The wolf could almost smell blood when he imagined anything and everything that could happen to his child.  
Just when they’d gotten closer. Korry had talked about wanting to see an art exhibit in canada; a fun road trip with her dad.  
Hell, the entire house had been cleaned (more than it would have been) by the pack so that she could see how much better of a job he was doing. 

Consuelo frowned at the thought of his ex wife.  
8 years, minus the few years Consuelo had put it in to woo her and while there were plenty of happy memories, the fighting was too much to handle.  
“What if it’s my fault?” He asked himself, only to be shoved in the back. Tunu glared, his frown more prominent with the mud mask.

“Don’t do that to yourself,” The wolf growled, “What happened to Korry is something we couldn’t have expected or changed at the time, and we won’t be at our best if doubts judgement,” 

“I could’ve kept her at home, we could pretend to prepare for an apocalypse and go insane together. Like true familia.” Consuelo thought aloud, not putting much meaning into what he said but definitely contemplating it. 

“And if her friends came over?” 

Consuelo knit his brows. He had mixed feelings about Korry’s human friends.  
“She’s got Hayley and Ron,” he tried.

“They’re 5 years older, that’s quite the age difference for them,” Tunu wouldn’t relent, his tone pushy and his eyes cold. Despite this truly is the warmest person. 

Consuelo exhaled, he’d been holding his breath for a swift punch that he’d expected. Relaxing against the railing he said “Okay, chill geez.”  
Tunu joined him.  
“Zendaya called,” Tunu laughed as Consuelo swiftly punched his arm and snatched the phone from the wolf’s hand.  
Dialing the number as Tunu walked back inside, “Tell her I said no,”. Not needing to guess what that meant, Consuelo put the phone to his ear.  
“Hello-” The poor man was interrupted but his second, almost like she held a grudge for him sending her to find Korry during the snow and rainfall. 

“Tell Tunu he doesn’t have a choice, we need it and I don’t want to guilt him but we are trying. to. find. Korry.” The day of searching was taking a toll on her, and he didn’t need to hear growling to know that the team with her was suffering.  
Consuelo relayed to Tunu, who promptly covered his ears and chanted in the unspoken language. 

“He’s...not listening,” Consuelo’s heart ached. Sure it might be a bit insensitive to ignore the facts present but Tunu had his reasons for not touching his mother’s sacred box. 

“Put me on speaker damnet!” 

Protectively, Consuelo denied her request. “Update. Now.” He growled, almost feeling his hackles rise at her.  
Zendaya bristled, coughing, she gave him what she could. Boat still not moving but now there are people guarding it. They’re human but there’s something off about them, like they were puppets with souls.  
“I really don’t like the sound of that. How close are you?” 

“50 metres, they either don’t know we’re here or have enough ammo to not care,” Zendaya briefly stopped to talk to another wolf for a second.  
Growling and a few hushed curses were shared as well as the information that made Zendaya reluctant to talk. “Wilde is back. She needs to talk to you,”

“Put me on speaker,” Consuelo went inside upon feeling a chill down his spine. Tunu had moved to his study, most likely working on computers for his clients. Tunu is a whizz with magic, wolves and technology. 

“Con, I followed the fox, they ended up with a shifter, they’re travelling in a ute-” Wilde was out of breath, talking without pausing, letting out too much at a time. 

“Hey, hey…” He soothed the new girl. “Take a breath, what happened?”  
The blonde calmed herself, her voice still raspy “I passed a deer-a...a fae, they weren’t travelling alone, Mountain cars! along the river!. And the fox-the fox is with a shifter, they don’t know each other but they were driving towards us the last time I saw them!”

Consuelo considered this. They weren’t targeting him personally for money or revenge; the poachers have managed to piss off the fae, who have better things to do than mess with mortal affairs- had one of their own been taken? The idea of someone kidnapping a fae sounded near impossible.  
“Can you describe the shifter?” Consuelo grabbed a pen and paper. The escaped fox is willingly going back towards danger, meaning there is something to save, that something could be the rest of the fox shifters on there. 

“He could have been a fox but I couldn’t tell, drives a red ute, number plate DY578B,” Wilde had to shove people away while she spoke, the others were most likely trying to talk about a scent they might have picked up. “black hair and brown skin and green hoodie. The Fox has brown hair and a yellow hoodie, sit’s in the passenger seat but they aren’t related to the man and I seriously doubt that they’ve known each other long.” 

Consuelo finished scribbling on the paper, sliding it under the door to Tunu’s study.  
“Does he have any relation to the fae?” 

“Not that I can tell, but shifters tend to gravitate towards fae, witches and vampires,” Wilde passed the phone back to Zendaya.  
“I’m sending her back to follow him, offer to help if she can,” When Consuelo didn’t respond she asked “Are you okay? Do you know him?”  
“Red ute...does it have a big scratch on the driver door?”  
A few seconds and Zendaya spoke again “Yes, who is he?”  
Consuelo sighed “A fucking coyote,” he snarled “That bitch that used to fix Candices bike,”  
“Him? The mechanic? Why would a coyote help a fox?”

The mechanic has a face that could send a human child running for their parents.  
Consuelo had his grumpy scarred face ingrained into his mind. It didn’t help that he was a coyote, distrustful, loners, perfect hit men or silent bitches to pay when you need something dirty done. “Maybe he’s not helping. I don’t trust him, send three others with Wilde and do not let him see them.” Consuelo seethed.  
Candice was not someone close to him, she was merely a woman who liked to wave at him when she passed in the grocery store. The coyote was the last to see her alive, from what he heard.  
And, either it was him going unhinged due to recent events or, his gut was telling him that this coyote was a threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sister gave me her muffin nvm she can live.


	5. Bites and belittlement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's had to live off nut bars, gum and granola bars then murder is a perfect response to the shitty situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time is meaningless and I will not learn human calendars.

"for a someone with a nice face, your personality shouldn't suck as much as it does,"

"I literally just saved your life, wolfie."

“Your radio sucks,” Dylan’s hand kept playing with the dile, trying to adjust the volume. to their dismay the level of volume was static, un-moving.  
“My radio, my business.” Theo shut him down, never one to be bothered by a broken car.  
Theo avoided all roads but the dirt ones that led near camping grounds, hoping he could drive close enough to the river.  
“What even is our plan,” Dylan slouched in their seat, loudly chewing on their last piece of gum. “I have to pee,”  
“You can in five minutes, then you’ll need to tell me and Mags what the boat, and the people on the boat, are going to be like.” Theo scratched under his eye, a faint scar-pale compared to his tan brown skin. 

To Dylan, Theo appeared very much Indian, they pondered, knowing a bit of Hindi from their mum’s friend before they left. “kya aap hindee bolate hain?” (Do you speak Hindi?)  
Theo gave the fox a look; but even with his rude exterior, Dylan knew what a confused child looked like.  
And Theo happened to act very much like a kid from the streets.  
They were small things: he was defensive, even growing cold when Dylan asked why he lived alone.What made him want to be a mechanic. Why help them, of all people? 

But he was a softie. Despite everything he’s driving a fox shifter and a fae deer into danger to save people he doesn’t know.  
His hands were still as tight on the wheel when Dylan spoke Hindi, “My dad was Punjabi, but I don’t speak either.”  
Dylan shrugged, they tried.  
“So what happened?” carrying on, just for conversation really, “Absent dad?”  
No response, Dylan gasped “Absent dads?” Theo’s eyes narrowed, his patience waning.  
The ute stopped on the trail, and Dylan thought they’d pried too much. Gulping they turned to gauge Theo. his eyebrow raised, he was also looking at Dylan.  
“You said you needed to go?”

“R-right,” Dylan jumped out and ran to the nearest tree.  
The deer must have joined them because there was breathing down their neck.  
“What,” Dylan kept their back to her, not moving in case she decided to impale him. 

“I just had a few questions,” Mags had transformed, but the fox didn’t see any light. 

“Whoa, me...really?” sarcasm. Dylan hadn’t missed the hushed shouting between Theo and Mags; and there was the time she almost killed him. Friends or not, Dylan didn’t trust her. Not with those fangs and horns.  
Unaffected Mags continued “What bit you?” She used a tone that left Dylan wanting to leave, it’s like a teacher trying to coddle a child who scraped their knee.  
Dylan shrugged, “They had a guard cat. Impossible to get past,” their grin crooked and mischievous, how had Theo dealt with this little shit?

“Did it smell like me?” Mags voice softer, or quieter, she often spoke like she had no reason to care about this.  
Dylan turned around, eyes scanning Mags in her Fae form. They calculated their words, speaking lightly.

“Isn’t it rude to assume all Fae smell the same,” Not a question. They wanted to be left alone to pee. 

“It’s more rude to not answer at this point,”

“Is that so?”  
“Listen you little shit, The guy that saved your life has begged that I help you both so that this doesn’t go to hell,” Mags stomped right up to the child, forgetting the mother tactic and going straight to the point. “You want to save your friend’s skin? Tell me in excruciating detail,”

“The boat was blue, I didn’t see the name,”  
Mags didn’t remember hearing about a boat, but she motioned for them to continue. 

“We were kept in cages, in a room with a locked door, it was metal, and pad-locked; I got out by pretending to be sick during their rounds, and I doubt anyone else would try that after the demon cat bit me,” Dylan's side was still healing with a significant chunk of flesh missing.

“Was the cat a demon or are you hating on it?”

“It was definitely a demon, red eyes with round pupils, last I checked, cats have slits,” 

“Were they human?”  
Dylan nodded, turning to hide behind a tree. 

“Look, I actually have to pee so,” they made a dismissive shoo-ing motion.

With a huff and a snap of teeth, the Fae threw her hands up and jumped into the back of the Ute, reverting to her Deer form and lying down. 

. . .

Korry’s stomach had grumbled for over an hour. Pretty sure they won’t bother to feed her or anyone for another few hours. They were certain that they craved chicken nuggets and her dad’s hot sauce.  
Sniffling, she cried as silently as she could, but her breathing betrayed her, making herself hiccup. With a tight throat she focused on breathing, some where sleeping, some were screaming for help and the rest were sitting stubbornly, like silent resistance was the best idea for this situation. Seeing as how the loudest of them were taken away to goodness knows where, Korry would agree. 

Day light filled the room as the metal door threw open.

A man, shoved to the floor of the room. He writhed and punched, duck tape hanging off his arms and face. 

He was a fighter. 

At least five people were on him, kicking and punching till his throws were tired and desperate, then they plunged the syringe into his neck.  
Still flailing but now shrinking, the dosage took effect. The man was now a brown fox, tired and biting as he was shoved into an empty cage. 

“Damn, Tua, they actually found you?” a red fox from across the room called out to the new shifter. 

They only need 3 now, but that hasn’t stopped them from moving along the river, though they didn’t always go forward. For whatever reason they’d go backwards, or pull up and stop altogether. 

The adults chalked it up to the poachers needing to get supplies. From what Korry knew, there was nothing out there. No shops to raid, no houses to meet. Just trees and trees. 

And of course no one could smell anything, it’s like they’ve casted spells on the doors and windows. Not cracks in the wall or holes in the roof could say anything about their state. 

Minutes passed in silence. The foxes listening to the footsteps making rounds outside the door, or sleeping...well trying to. Few sniffed at the new fox, only receiving a growl for it.  
Korry’s paws had grown itchy; as much as she loved her fox form, they were starting to feel cramped and sore, like her skin was growing old and begging her to shift.  
Too bad her cage would be too small to accommodate even her tiny human body.

“So what’s the plan?” The aforementioned Tua stood on shaky legs, his claws tapped against the metal bottom as he moved around in the cage. 

“Plan? We’re all counting on our families or starvation to get us out of here.” The white fox snarled, almost laughing drily, his voice had gotten more hoarse over the few days he’d been here.  
Other foxes chipped in half assed plans that could work, but they all relied on a key that no fox could get. 

Between all the yelling, a cage knocked against Korry’s, giving her an idea.  
She knocked back, hoping to spur on the other fox.

It worked. They continuously thrashed against the bars, hitting cages beside them.  
The one atop Korry fell, denting open.  
“Hide!” Tua yelled at the kid. Obeying, she threw herself behind a box covered by a sheet.  
More and more cages knocked together, sending foxes scattering everywhere, clawing and fighting for a spot to hide. 

Euphoria erupted inside her. Korry found herself yipping and her fighting turned to jumping.  
Laughing and snickering with the kids and adults.  
The cheers were short lived. 

Silence broke at the shock of a loud metal door screeching as it was thrust open.  
Guns were pointed as poachers walked in. 2 of them. 

If her heart wouldn’t beat out of their tiny little chest, then the man staring Korry down would do it for her happily. He scowled and picked up her cage, checking behind it.  
The foxes hiding behind the cage leapt out.  
All at once the foxes free, ran, sprinting out the door and leaping off the side of the boat.  
Bullets were fired. Blood and fur on the deck. 

While some made it, the screams of pain made it clear that not everyone would get far.  
“Damn it, Carl!” Carl, the man holding Korry’s cage, was shot dead, leaving her cage to drop, and land on the human body of a fallen shifter. 

“Move them to the other ship and strap the fucking cages down or I swear to whatever deity you humans worship, I will slaughter you!” A lady, dressed head to toe in green.  
No! Korry skittered in her cage, incessant crying and barking out of fear.  
The woman screaming bent down to eye level with them. “And be sure to take away their water rations,” She smiled as cruel, greedy cockroach would.  
Fear and anger fought within Korry, ultimately the fox had been the first to break eye contact. 

. . . 

Theo gave up.  
“Fuck granola bars,” The coyote threw the rabbit into the back of the Ute, shifting to grab some matches. “Mags!” He called out, “Can you skin this? I gotta piss,”  
Mags scrunched her nose “Use nicer words maybe?” She went back to filing her nails, only shaping her claws in preparation. 

“Please skin this fat rabbit so that I can take a shit,”  
At least Dylan laughed. They and Theo were pretty much joined by the hip now.  
Theo, with his instincts, wanted to keep Dylan safe. And Mags was certain he’d kill someone to ensure it. 

“Fine.” Mags grabbed the rabbit and her knife, ruffing Dylan’s hair to annoy them. 

Enjoying the quiet, Theo decided to stay with the trees for a few more minutes.  
All he had to do was save Tua, and get out of there. Of course he dreaded the blood shed that might ensue- what person wouldn’t?  
“A coyote wouldn’t back down from a fight,” He spoke to himself. The only words his father bothered to leave him.  
It’s not like Theo could name people off of his head who had a good relationship with their dad; everyone has beef with someone. 

Not that Theo hated his father.  
Sure he’d chew him out for what he did to his mum, but other than that he didn’t care.  
Theo had other coyotes, and even the fae, who looked out for him happily. 

Were coyote instincts the only reason Theo wanted to help Dylan? Was it just the right thing to do? Obviously it was the right thing to do, but...taking on hunters.  
Who’s to say they weren’t the very reason their ancestors had chosen to hide themselves?  
What if they were wolf hunters?!  
Theo had to steel himself. Brain going too fast for him to keep up. “Fuck, I need to-” 

A large stick snapped behind him. Maybe 20 metres away from where Theo was.  
The step was heavy, and the lack of following ones meant they stood frozen, trying to remain hidden.

Nearly growling, Mother bitch. One break ONE BREAK. Theo’s hand curled into a fist.  
Time to play tourist, Theo sucked in a breath and turned to face the animal, “Hello? Please don’t be a bear, please don’t be a bear!” the fo-fear fit perfectly- praise being a theatre gay in highschool. “Is someone there?” Theo stepped on several branches, furthering the human charade.  
Hopefully the smell of rabbit blood still on him would hide his scent. But if they were a werewolf, he was seriously fucked. 

A large snout stuck out of a bush, sniffing wetly and searching for food, most likely.  
The smell hit Theo like a slap to the nose. The werewolf bared their teeth- a terrible sign. 

“SHit!” Theo reeled back and sprinted like mad, shifting for a better chance. “Start the car, start the car!”  
Snapping to attention, Mag’s threw Dylan into the passenger seat and leapt into the driver's side. The car turned on and began drifting. 

Several wolves were giving chase as Theo ran for his life, jumping many times to get into his car. But even with his added height-being a were and all, the boot was shut and too high for him to reach without enough power. 

Theo was lacking in that leg power. 

The first wolf had reached Theo by now, running in broad daylight on the open road.  
The hell do these guys want? He supposed they could be working for wild packs who refused to stay with humans, or perhaps they were after Dylan.  
The thought made Theo jump the wolf, using it to access the back of the ute, snarling at the wolf just to piss it off more.  
The three of them still sprinted behind them. Barking and tripping over their too-large paws a few times. 

The Fae, fox and coyote were alone once again.  
Mag’s pissed, Dylan tired and Theo, ready to punch whatever alpha, leader or giant wolf president he had to. 

“What the hell did they want?” Mag’s threw the car door open and stormed over to Theo, still coughing up his lungs from the chase. 

“They were following us,” The coyote felt as if his claws were still out, begging to scratch at the metal. “Wolves were fucking following us?!” Dylan stepped out of the ute, their fingers intertwined and face pale. Theo and Mag’s softened immediately. 

“Is your leg okay?” The fox asked shyly, their eyes moved as fast as their hands. As if it were the wrong question, or smartly keeping an eye out for wolves.  
Mag’s was already doing that, her fangs bared and elongated ears preening for any warnings.  
Any reasons to fight. 

The pain flared when Theo finally saw his ankle. Blood soaked through his sock; the wound was still fresh, meaning the oxygen and material made his ankle very sore.

Dylan did not miss the wince. They puffed out their chest and went straight for the first aid box Mag’s had previously found.  
“You’re not gonna turn are you?” The fae woman must have poked the bite, because as soon as she did a slap sound was heard and a verbal fight broke out between the two. 

“How do we disinfect it?” Dylan rested the box at Theo’s feet. The coyote shrugged. 

“It’ll heal. Wolf bites aren’t shit,” Theo’s smile turned into a grimace when Mag’s, again, prodded the flesh.  
The bite wasn’t clean, nor fatal, but Theo wouldn’t be walking for a week at least.  
“Dumb ass,” The fox rolled their eyes with Mag’s.

“If someone else were bit you’d probably cry,” Mag’s only laughed more when Theo punched her arm. “Quit it! Or we’ll take you to a doctor!” The fae grinned evilly, knowing she had won.

“Or a vet,” Dylan joined in, the indignant squeak from Theo was more than worth it.

“They’ll shave your calf and put you in a cone!” 

The two bonded over Theo’s pain, imitating him in a cone. “We’d have to buy you a collar! I say you look good in blue,”  
“Purple!” Dylan argued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I go to a mental asylum do I have to wear a straight jacket? It's just not my colour.
> 
> also thank you to those reading this. This is the first story I've posted and I'm working really hard on it.


	6. On the prowl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who's the real enemy here? Wolves? Hunters? Rabbits???
> 
> Hashtag not click bait. Hashtag Hashtag button broken????????????????????  
> Hashtag not cool.
> 
> Honestly though, what are those rabbits doing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will say, that I'm extremely white, not from Alaska (much less the continent) and have found little facts to help base the story, so I'm going to say that this is PURELY fictional, but appreciate any and all comments that could help improve this story. 
> 
> To the two who left Kudos, thank you, I live for you both!

The morning went slow. Quiet. 

An uneasy heaviness had settled in Consuelo’s gut. It had taken half an hour of running and pacing as a wolf to calm down even a little. 

But now he’s just tired. Emotionally, mentally and physically.  
His mind ran rampant with plans regarding Korry’s safety: where to strike, when, who to punch and who to kill...no. No don’t scar her more than she already is.  
Tunu walked beside Consuelo, like he always had. The two had grown up together and if it came to it, they’d die protecting each other’s back. 

“Zendaya says they’re close to finding the boat,”  
Consuelo huffed a response, not being able to do much else in his state. “Pack want’s to know what’s happening once we get Korry out...”  
He hadn’t thought about it. Another huff. “...Leave them for the police it is.” 

The guilt never waned, only edging him the more Consuelo thought about why it happened.  
How did they know she was a fox and where she was. If they knew she was of wolf descent they certainly didn’t care; going so far as to piss off Consuelo Alvarez and his entire pack. 

Perhaps they’d prepared for someone like him.  
A coyote wasn't close to a wolf by species...but do enough research and you could learn anything about a wolf. Too bad the same can't be said for shifters. Even asking his ex wife about what he should expect with Korry, was a heavy mine field.

Feeling stupid, Consuelo turned back, “What protection do we have?” He asked his tanner friend, Tunu appeared calm yet surprised. Surprised Con had thought that far. “I’m serious, they captured shifters, surely they would’ve had half a brain to keep something to ward us off,”

Pursing his lips, Tunu rummaged through the satchel at his side. “I grabbed a few ash coated bullets, a crucifix, matches, and 2 hand pistols,” Tunu didn’t include the silver knife he kept in a sealed pocket. “But, come on, we’re wolves. With a whole pack of us, who could really hurt us?” Consuelo begrudgingly agreed, muttering something about not getting cocky. 

His own phone signalled a call not two minutes later. Wilde.  
“Wilde?” Consuelo warily asked, feeling the dread from the other side of the phone.  
Through grit teeth Wilde spat “The Coyote has the escaped fox, he’s booking it back to the boat.” She nearly spat through the word Coyote. 

Consuelo tensed, his feet slowing to a stop, “You don’t think…”

“He was pretty quick to run,” 

Controlling himself, albeit seething anger and hostility, Con politely thanked Wilde and ordered her back to the pack.  
“Permission to continue after them,” Wilde begged. Her own temper getting the best of her. 

“You don’t know the trail-” Another wolf interrupted for Wilde before Consuelo could think of more reasons to say no.  
“I bit the Coyote, we have a clear scent on him and he is not far,” the three kept badgering and bargaining until Consuelo hissed,  
“Fine! Bring them both alive.” Hanging up and promptly punching a tree. Bruising his own knuckles and denting the tree. 

Was he in the best state of mind? Absolutely not.  
Is anything going to stop him? Only a silver bullet shot by God himself. And fuck it, he had a right to be an unhinged parent. He’d string up that coyote and hang his pelt over the fireplace, morals be damned.  
Consuelo would thank the lord that his wife hadn’t texted him (She’s a silent treatment kind of woman) otherwise he’d have punched more than just innocent trees. 

Tunu’s smile broke the mood. “What.” Consuelo meant to soften the words, he swears, but when one looks at you like losing your shit is comedic, they should have the decency to be ashamed of it. 

“This might be justice,” Tunu now went for a tight lipped smile, but the humour never left his eyes. “Y’know how you forgot to feed my snake for the week you took care of her and all,” 

“Accidents don’t deserve...whatever. I’m not doing this,” despite the, honestly cruel way Tunu perceived the situation, Consuelo was lucky to have him.  
And the enchanted dynamite that Con snuck in his jacket. 

Inside pockets. What greater gift could there be? 

. . .

Lunch. The biggest waste of daylight. Your body needs food??? Immediately? Stop whatever you’re doing and devour something once alive? Eat to not die or get 10% more grumpy? Bullshit.  
Now; Mag’s could have worded that in a nicer way, but what friend would I be if I wrote her as a person any less spiteful or stupid? It’d take away from her appeal. 

Theo and Dylan were horking down a rabbit leg when Mag’s slammed her fist on the bonnet of the car.  
“Can we move now?” Her toothy smile only added to her scariness, but it was Dylan who truly felt uneasy around her. 

“Gees, we aren’t all un feeling immortals,” The fox grumbled, underestimating Mag’s grumpiness and hearing. Big mistake.  
“I outrank you, kid,” Mag’s sneered, poking a claw at the literal child. 

Add that to her list of qualities: Probable child murderer.  
Glorious, astonishing. Truely. 

“I out class you, lady,” Dylan stuck their tongue out at her. Theo put the bone down.  
“We can leave now?” The coyote tried to soothe the tension, “It would probably be best, considering the wolf bite,” Distract them, separate them and move.

“Alright, skinwalker…” Mag’s began, further infuriating Dylan.  
Theo scolded “Mag’s!” but she only held a finger up to him: 1 minute.  
“You know what’s going to happen?” She grinned, “You’re going to get in the car, and we’re going to save your friend, like Theo saved your ass, and then we’re going to dump you, the first chance we get.”  
Dylan went from tan to red. Surely with steam blowing out their nose and red eyes. 

“You don’t know what I am.” words clipped and chin low. If the two didn’t know them any better, they’d guess Dylan was about to cry.  
Far from it.  
Dylan lunged across the bonnet. Their tiny, furry body scraping at Mag’s in milliseconds. 

“Guys!” Theo called out, exasperated and near angry. “Guys this isn’t going to help!” 

The fae snarled, “Stay out of it!” then getting a claw to the face. It left red marks but no blood. 

Theo debated driving away, pushing away the idea when he realised they’d probably just kill each other. Then this would be for nothing.  
“Gees,” He leaned on the bonnet, stewing and wondering what would happen if he tried to physically separate them. Dylan was wild with anger and Mag’s had too much pride to let him try- she’d most likely curse him for attempting as much. 

Sighing, he felt eyes on his neck. “Guys…” He reached a hand out to the door handle, all too aware of the high ground beside the road.  
Wolf or hunter, they have the high ground and the art of surprise on their side.  
Hearing the clip of a gun, the coyote threw himself at Mag’s and Dylan, dodging the dart that whistled into the tree with a ‘Thwunk!’. 

“We’re leaving now!” He picked the two up under his arms and sprinted for the car. Other than the rustling of leaves, there was no sign of the attacker.  
They fired again, this time hitting Mag’s as she jumped into the trunk. “Fuck!”

We sped off, driving to the nearest Gas station. Dylan muttering profanities and punching the arm rest.  
Filling up for the sake of appearing human, Theo swore to himself that he’d start carrying silver- in jewellery at most. “You’re gonna have to be the look out while I drive. Kick the Ute for however many Wolves, hunters or whatever sketchy cars are following us,” Mag’s nodded her deer head, the antlers looked slightly sharper than they had before. “How’s your arm?”  
Theo gestured toward her front leg, Mag’s having previously taken the dart out, had struggled with healing her leg. If only a little. It hadn’t bled and a thin layer of skin was beginning to bloom.  
Mag’s huffed, some deer spit hitting Theo in the face. 

A woman had seen the entire thing, save for the ‘Look out’ promise.  
“He a pet?” She asked, a southern accent bleeding into her words as she cleaned a spill on the concrete.  
“She’s domestic,” Theo started stroking her, to Mag’s dismay, “Aren’t you? Yeah you’re just a dumb deer!” The coyote cooed, getting a kick out of using a high voice that a human would for a dog. He’d most likely get kicked for doing such. 

“She’s a cutie. Need any pellets for her food?”  
Theo hummed, digging out his wallet and handing Dylan a $20, “Go grab some pies,” He told the fox, nudging them out the car. “Can I get chocolate?” They asked.  
Theo laughed, “If you see a chocolate pie, sure.”  
Not finding it funny, as Dylan knew that Theo knew that wasn’t what they meant. They snatched the $20 and walked inside.  
“We’ll be fine for food, thank’s. We’re heading to my brothers in Tanana,” Theo lied, hoping he wasn’t drawing a weird vibe.  
The woman gave a low whistle. “Might want to wait a few weeks. Some bad things are waking up there,”  
When she didn’t deign to say more, Theo took a closer look, unconsciously sniffing for an idea of where she’d been.  
She hadn’t moved from this spot today, human but...possibly native American; thanks to their bloodline and respect of the supernatural, they’d always be given safe passage or sometimes watched over by certain spirits.  
Moving slower and shifting my gaze from her face. Get answers but don’t get them involved.

“Any idea what it might be?” Theo did his best to not sound too interested, lest she think he was making fun of her. 

The woman adjusted her red windbreaker coat. “Can’t tell... but try not to drive at night, y’know?”  
Dylan trudged out, holding two pies and a bottle of cream, stopping and turning to the owner of the gas station. “There’s a lot of rabbits outside your back door,” Not saying anything else as she grabbed a broom and walked briskly to the back, Dylan jumped in the Ute, after handing the cream to Mag’s.

Why cream? The fuck? Shaking his head, Theo finished with the tank and refilled a few bottles of water.  
“How’d you know about the rabbits?” He slid into the driver's seat, having half a mind to grill for more results from that lady.  
“You couldn’t smell them?” Was Dylan’s only response. They reclined back in the seat, a new ease about them. “They found the garden outside, way too many onions if you ask me,”  
“I couldn’t smell much over the petrol,” Theo defended, moving out of the station and into the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so many ideas on how to continue this but have no idea how I'm going to end it.  
> especially considering that I based this on a book I never got to finish, but either way this is hopefully going to be 40 chapters long.


	7. CRAP HOLE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shady foxes deal in lives but still care for children, who knew.  
> am I somehow making this the plot of 'Old grumpy person finds lost abused child and becomes a good person + Gay characters'? Shit. 
> 
> okay but to be fair I've never met an adult that didn't want to hear my problems and offer advice or do something about it.  
> I can think of five adults at the top of my head and they are all Godsends. 
> 
> Hashtag-hug your parental figures. Hashtag-Hashtag button still broken. It just turns into a euro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If at one point you thought I knew what I was doing then you have greatly over AND underestimated me.  
> This plot has been decided but am I going to execute it well?????? Probably not!
> 
> Still working on villains though. I'm thinking flamboyant- bit of a dick but still lovable + Puppy (in this case fox) fur coat.  
> mystical being or dumb ass human? Hell it could be a unicorn or the ghost of Cruella De'vil. 
> 
> Should I add another child? another plot device?? Death to author??? me thinks yes.

"What do you mean she's with another fox?! What /other/ fox is there??"  
(Okay, actually debating whether I want to continue adding these)

.  
.

The new boat was rusty, rotten with old crab, and close to being sold to the nearest dump; Korry could find new things to complain about every second, but it’d be smarter to stay quiet, and under the radar.  
If the lack of movement was any indication she’d say they wouldn’t be leaving Alaska for a while yet. Beijing, someone had told Korry, to be shipped off to beijing; either to be bought as exotic pets, stuffed or skinned.  
“Still think your dad’s gonna find you?” A red fox beside her, almost the same age. He’s been the loudest voice of negativity on the sorry boat. 

“Still think that spider’s not in your fur?” Korry spat. If she had to defend her father’s honour one more time, Korry would certainly bite someone’s leg off.  
The fox in passing began fussing and shaking about. “Is it there? Fuck get it off!! TUA!”  
Oh? Tua didn’t make it out with the others? There’s probably only 9 foxes in here, and 15 in the other. Korry was almost certain that Tua was smart or determined enough to be with the few that made it out with their tail intact. 

“Ryou, please shut up,” probably Tua, told the irritating young adult. “Tua’s trying to think and I swear If you trip me over again I’ll leave ya for the humans.” 

Not Tua then. 

If her Dad were here he’d be able to talk everyone into calming down, or if it came to it, shut them up with one look. Korry had received said look when she was seven and about to put a frog in Ashley’s hair; a simple prank at the time, but Ashley might have eaten senorita Hamburguesa at the time.  
Or even her mum. Ms De ‘la cruz was notorious for silencing a room by simply walking in.  
She had a fearsome smile and almost always had her fangs out. An accessory for her; it made Korry want to wear her fangs with pride at school. 

No Korry didn’t have her parents or anyone close to being such at the moment.  
She might not even be able to rely on her father’s nose and pack to get her out; What Korry needed was to be smart. Use every moment.  
How could a an 11 year old possibly get out of here.

Cages are strapped down. 

Hunters patrolling out the door.

Food is sprinkled through the bars, And no one other than Tua has thought of something that doesn’t include chewing through solid steel or playing dead. Not that Korry had come up with something better. Good behaviour is rewarded with a quicker death and escaping is a faster death. 

Despite the rapid decaying of the boat, there was no way out of the crap hole. And why were they put on a different boat? Sure this one was better for strapping them down, and that rusty door took way too long to open to make for a silent escape, but the other one was faster, had better equipment and wasn’t falling apart like Zendaya’s last attempt at a gingerbread house. 

Was it that this boat was bigger and easier to keep an eye on the majority? Then why move only 4 of the 18 that were in the stronger boat? There’s still plenty of room in the crap hole? 

“Quit pacing.” a grouchy voice cut through the squabbling of hopeless plans. “You’ll run a hole through the pillow,” Korry stopped to see that the grouch was speaking specifically to her. 

Narrowing their eyes, she sat down, tail flicking and ears poised forward. The grouch didn’t seem to want more than that so the arguing continued; just like the staring contest Korry found herself losing. 

Fur matted down with a few dry patches of mud, a stick behind his ear and a leaf stuck to his chest, “You got an idea, kid? What’s with the pent up frustration and energy- you’ve moved more than the others in here,” 

“I want what we all want: answers, a way out.” She did her best to keep a level head and not blow up at the man. “Why would they risk putting us in here? Even the other boat was better,” 

“We’re expendable, common foxes. This boat is on it’s last hinges, less hunters patrolling means that even if we get out, there’s bound to be something worse. But we know this. What we don’t know is why you can’t stay still, and what’s with your fur? You look like you’ve got hackles It’s like you got a nail stuck in your paw,” the quiet was not her response, but it showed that others were now thinking the same thing. 

“What does that have to do with anything? We need to get out of here, and you’re worried about my fur?” 

“You’re the wolf cub.“ he spoke simply, standing now with his maw curled, almost angry but more threatening-maybe a weird way of smiling. “You are the one they’re looking for! The pack of wolves I saw on my way in…they ran to their leader as soon as I was spotted.” cheers and wails of indignation broke out before The fox hushed them. “We have to stay quiet. If they suspect anything those Wolves will lose the advantage they have,”

“Why rely on them? Wolves have not helped us for generations! They hunt and run like they own this world! Tua, foxes don’t need or want those egotistical fucks!” Others whispered their agreements. 

“So we can die by pride? Much better plan, really.” the other half of the room echoed. 

Growling, “We will get out of here, we need to work together. Fox and fox, not fox and wolf!” more fighting and a few claws swapped between bars until a bat broke through the glass of the door. 

“You foxes shut up before I drive this bat through your hides!” The barking of Foxes was the only reply the dumb hunter got. 

“Can you howl?” Tua hissed to Korry,his fur prickling and teeth baring. 

Korry frowned, they’d never tried, and she wasn’t about to make an idiot of herself by trying, “No, can you?” They said, sarcasm lacing through each word. . . .

If the patience Consuelo has shown (to almost no one. Almost) is any indicative of how good of a pack leader he is then he’d say he was doing great.  
Zendaya however. 

“If anyone could have talked him into bringing it, it was you! You had the perfect chance and time! Honestly it’s like we need to do this the hard way! And what is it with you and your hand! It hasn’t left your pocket since you got here,” Zendaya continuously waved her arms around, stomping and glaring at the ground, at one point of her speech she turned into a wolf and just started huffing. 

“No, it’s not fair of me to ask that of him and you know perfectly well why, you also know that we have more important things to do, rather than lecturing me just to feel more in control of a situation you have no authority over.”  
His second’s shoulders fell, along with her jaw.  
“I-I was out of place,” she reasoned. 

“Right now, I need you, so much. I won’t ask Tunu to give something he can’t. I wouldn’t do that to any of you, but I know I can count on you to do nearly anything to get Korry back. I and this gang believes in you; we’re pack, that means trust will warm us when our fur does not,” Consuelo held his hand out towards his companion.  
“And our hearts will shield us when our parents fall,” Zendaya smiled, clasping his hand. Her smile was short lived, she most likely still believed that Tua was their best bet. 

“What’s the status on the boat,” Consuelo began walking around the small camp. Most of it in a small trench out of view. Roots stuck out, a few sweeping across his face, usually missing his brown eyes. 

“They have magic. Since 1PM the boat has been flashing in and out of sight, it only appears when a human enters the proximity.” Zendaya began listing the weaknesses of said boat: Weak hull, only 13 hunters have been spotted around. Blah blah blah, eccetera. “We haven’t heard anything else from Wilde, so as far as we know the Coyote is still on our list of targets.”

“I don’t like him,” Consuelo could feel his face warming at the thought of him being close. He’d kill before giving the chance to steal another fox. “If he’s laid a single hand on Korry-” 

“Right, we get it,” Zendaya assured. “And we’re handling things delicately right now so concentrate on the matter at hand.” The leader nodded his apologies, slowly opening up his jacket to reveal the enchanted dynamite he stole from Tunu. Zendaya raised her eye brows in fear and curiosity (best combination if you've ever blown something up- highly recommend). 

"This is..." 

Consuelo grinned as if they were exchanging casualties, not deathly sticks of magic and bone dust, “6PM. Have them ready,”

. . . 

Short chapter sorry, had a bit of a writing block this week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you be arrested for writing terrible plots?? (free home + food and new friends?? sign me UP).
> 
> If so I'll say hello to any other authors going to hell. 
> 
> Also if anyone wants to discuss whether hell is cold or hot please comment I am pulling hairs.
> 
> Also Crap hole from the trail to Oregon is fucking hilarious.


	8. Coyote kidnapping and interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enemies at first sight ;)
> 
> Mag's needs help after losing a crucial part of the team, instead finds a ferocious friend. 
> 
> Tunu's gonna have a heart attack when he sees the enchanted dynamite.  
> Nothing, I mean NOTHING screams wild like DYNAMITE AND EXPLOSIONNNNNSSSS. 
> 
> This is not child friendly, if you are ten you will learn how to swear.  
> Theo what the fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> school's back in new zealand. Thank's Jacinda. 
> 
> uploading might take a bit longer- or maybe what good story writing this has will go out the window. 
> 
> do people still read this?

The snow had stopped falling, meaning that the frigid weather would be put on hold. The resting definitely helped Theo relax a bit at the wheel; even spoiling himself by eating some chocolate and offering half of it to the cherry fox next to him.

The Dylan sitting in the front seat of Theo’s care was exceedingly more talkative than the Dylan that would do anything to get out of Theo’s house. The fox even made an effort to stand closer at every chance. 

/Is this normal or child imprinting?/ 

“How are the short’s treating you?” Theo asked over the green day and wind blasting through the open windows. Regardless of the fact he probably wouldn’t be able to do anything about the shorts until all of this was over. 

“Meh,” Dylan shrugged, poking out their tongue and going back to explaining why one book was better than another.  
Theo wouldn’t remember the titles, the closest he could recall would be ‘Perry Johnson’.  
Though he did recognise Harry potter, it’s quite unforgettable when all your friends read it in middle school. 

The coyote still shudders at the memory of ACTUALLY being levitated when Mag’s little brother Aden pointed at him and yelled “LevioSA!”  
Needless to say- Theo no longer envied birds that day. 

“Because Rick actually made an effort to write about characters that-” Dylan lurched forward, seat belt snagging to catch them as Theo stopped too suddenly on the break. 

A large lump of fur lay dead on the road. Un-moving but clean, most likely shot by hunters.  
The thought of hunters sent Dylan searching for their lost breath and dropped stomach.  
Mag’s made a noise of interest. Most likely urging Theo to do all the work to move the dead animal.  
But he didn’t move. 

Theo lightly sniffed the air, closing the window on Dylan’s side and put the Ute into reverse gear, the car still didn’t move.  
Was he waiting?  
The car revved, a warning most likely. The car backed slowly, Mag’s slammed her hoof on the roof of the Ute- telling them it was fine, and jumped out of the back, onto the road.

“Mag’s, no.”  
Theo’s demand went unheard, as even Dylan got out of the car to inspect the animal with the Fae.  
She had transformed back to her Fae body, a hand stroking her chin, and the other resting on her crouched knee. “Damnet, guys, get back in the car-” A sniff in the open air as the wind came towards his face:  
Theo could smell perfectly, what was on the road, a wolf.

No blood.  
Werewolf. And more than one. 

Mag’s realised a second too late. She whipped her head and body around to punch a wolf flying at her. “Dylan, car. NOW.”  
Dylan was already scrambling away, “Theo!” They called out. Theo scooped them up, running straight for the car, and locking them in. 

In Fae form she kicked and bit at 2 wolves, all of them just scratching to get to the car.  
“Get out of here! I’ll catch up!” And Theo had no doubt she could. The coyote rushed to the other side of the car, going around the back instead of the front- this being his biggest mistake of the year. 

The teeth caught him, snapping around his arm and dragging down to the ground fast enough to give a human whiplash.  
“Ah! Fuck...” blood dripped down his brow, “What are you trying to do?!” Theo barked, being cut out by the sound of his own car backing up and driving the hell away.  
His eyes widened as his mouth opened into an O.  
The sight made Theo’s heart lurch to his throat for a brief second; yes he and Mag’s could take care of themselves, but it’d still hurt to be deserted. 

Dylan’s safe, He told himself, steadying his breathing and preparing to fight for his life.  
Mag’s will be okay. Safe. safe from wolves, hunters.  
It was stupid to bring Dylan; Theo will find Tua, bring him back and strangle whatever pack leader sent these wolves.  
Wolves. Ego’s big enough to enlarge their egos, and pride that could rival a human ruler. 

“You’re in a heap of trouble.” A child-like grin met Theo’s unforgiving snarl. He swiped for the eyes, missing as anticipated. “Down, boy,” The wolf shoved his face into the tar road, successfully knocking him out. 

. . .  
“Turn back!” Dylan finally took human form after wrestling inside the glove compartment for so long. “I need Tua! And you need Theo! Turn the hell around!! I’ll kill you!” a claw met Mag’s knee. She didn’t budge. 

“Put your belt on.” Mag’s stone cold face stayed on the road. Swerving lightly and struggling to stay straight,” (Aren’t we all though).

“Go back, you bitch! He’s your friend! He’s your fucking friend!” all of Dylan's attempts at distracting Mag’s failed as she caught their fist, leg, foot and face every time they threw something at her.  
“Sit down, he’s fine. Theo once took on a bull, he’ll get away from 2 wolves just fine.”

“He’ll be put in a cage! Theo will fight until the beat it all out of him, I swear to fuck, turn around.” Dylan shifted back to a fox and started screaming. 

“If I have to knock you out to shut you up I will!” Surprisingly Mag’s threatening approach didn’t work. She breathed in, remembering that Dylan lived through a different world and therefore needed to explain calmly. “Theo need’s us to regroup. That way, we can all get out alive. It won’t take long and he’ll be fine, I promise.”  
Dylan huffed, bearing their fox teeth and lying down with their tail over their face.  
That was probably the best Mag’s would ever get out of the child.

“Am I seriously going to get the Fae to help again?” Mag’s thought to herself. She knew well, that if she wasted the time of those old bastards they’d just kill everyone and call it a day. Living in North America has already done a number on the family.  
Fae are more interested in being entertained if they aren’t helping an actual friend. The only Fae folk who genuinely like Theo are in Ireland, even if those idiots flew here themselves, they’d still be too late.  
Mag’s hadn’t aged since she’d first met Theo; she could still remember him scowling and squinting at everything. It was like he thought the world was against him.  
Dumb ass still has the ‘resting bitch face’ but he’s softened a lot (not that she could tell him that).

“I think you would’ve hated him, at your age, he was a literal ass hole,” Mag’s turned the heater in the car up, noting every Fair tree she passed. 

Not that the trees would help or bother them. They’re all on strike- dormant until further notice. Blame lumberjacks.  
“Yeah, he definitely would have tried to pick a fight with you. He was SO short, and even as a Shifter, he was no more than a puppy. I think he was trying to prove himself to other Coyote’s or something,” No word from the fox.  
“He won’t give up, y’know. He’s dumb like that; Me and my siblings finally had to intervene with his scraps when he tried to fight a ski- a...really big bear. Yeah,” truth be told, they were an angry skin walker - probably derived of a lunch/peaceful afternoon. 

Dylan shifted back, propping their chin on their crossed arms, bringing their knees to their chest, “What happened?”

Mag’s grinned unknowingly, “My brother crouched behind the bear so that I could punch and trip her over. Of course then Theo tried to fight us instead, but my sister held him down with her hoof on his back after knocking him to the ground. Took at least half an hour to convince the dummy that we didn’t feel like hurting him.”  
Dylan smiled beneath the hoodie sleeves that covered their mouth. 

"Not to say we've never beat him up, but those times we did were done with love, and noogies."

They laughed, both imagining a shorter version of Theo at the mercy of Mag's and her terrible family. 

“So...Dylan?” 

“Yeah?” They remained staring at the road, watching the rabbits skit around under the setting sun.  
“Is that your assigned name? Or did you like, choose it for yourself?”  
Dylan’s nose twitched, “Yeah I chose it, Tua thought it was cool, and I did too,”

“Cool, cool…” Mag’s didn’t know how to continue that conversation; instead turning on the radio, and driving on.

. . .

A warm breeze, the smell of pine, snow, dirt and lukewarm water barged through to Theo’s senses, enough to shake him out of his sleep. 

Though it was definitely the water that woke him up, the forest didn’t smell as nice as it used to.  
“Good evening,” A woman with black shoulder-length curls stood over Theo, holding a taser and a pocket knife in her left hand, and in the right, a, now, empty cup. “You’re going to tell us who you work for and why you need the foxes.” Her tone edged on the side of angry, if not ready to rip his throat out, but she was quiet, calculating. 

“Pardon?” Theo tried to move his hands, he was becoming more and more aware of his surroundings. He was tied to a tree, his arms hugging the tree backwards with the rope at his wrists. The sun had gone down, not a significant amount but enough to know that half an hour had passed. 

A strike to the cheek, it would bruise significantly. “Who...do you work for,” She seethed.  
Theo squinted to look closer at her face. If he was correct and could remember well, then it was Consuelo’s second, the unofficial northern pack. Either Zendaya or Kyra were talking to him. But seeing as the wolves assumed Theo was the one trafficking Foxes, he’d say that the big job of interrogating, would go to the second: Zendaya. 

“If you’re asking about my work, I’m self employed; and if you’re mad about me stopping your whole ‘fox trafficking’ shit...then I’m still self employed,” Shifting now was a death wish.  
They knew he was a coyote; great, wonderful. Of course they’d put a quadrupedal shifter in this position. “I don’t work for anyone,” Theo spat at her feet. “You fuck.”

Zendaya frowned, feral and beyond angry. She tased Theo, the first setting (though if asked, Theo would deny knowing what setting it was), making him hiss in pain. He grunted, trying to lean away from the electric bolts.  
“We have all day,” She stopped after 30 seconds, not giving him a chance to get used to the pain. “Who do you work for, and why are you transporting the foxes,” 

It clicked. 

The wolves are on their side. So when they saw Dylan...they must have thought he and Mag’s took them from their home.  
“Ah...fuck,” Theo slumped forward. Or at least..his head did; He really couldn’t move. “Listen, we are on the same side- I’ve been driving with Dylan to get their uncle back-”  
Another strike. 

“Zen, should I write this down?” A guy next to her held his phone out, already typing.  
“Get Conny, he should at least get a look at this guy,” the guy left before Theo could get a word in to him.

“Please, I don’t mean the Foxes ANY harm! I’ve been driving hours! I saw what they did to the homes of those foxes; they’re taking them to Beijing, and keeping them in cages! Forcing them to shift so that no one calls for help-” 

“Okay, okay. Gees, we’ll listen when Consuelo gets here. Just shut up.” 

It took a few minutes but the two wolves eventually convinced the alpha or whatever Theo thought Wolf leaders were called (Btw Alpha, beta, gamma etc aren’t “applicable” to real wolves so). Theo focused on concentrating on his breathing, still slumped forward, with his wet shirt clinging to his body, he was uncomfortable, cold, tied to a fucking tree, and the scent of pine made him want to crawl into a hole. 

“What’s he told us so far?” A deep, casual voice grew louder as the man walked closer. He was wearing timberland boots, practically stomping everywhere.  
Okay so they did piss off Consuelo, but what does he have to do anything?  
“He denies working with the hunters, says that the boat is going to china,”

“Beijing.” Theo cut in, finally lifting his head to see who Consuelo was. Hispanic with tan skin and curly hair, shaved on the sides; he was built decently, and had a very prominent scowl. 

“Shut up,” Consuelo’s voice was threatening, like he’d kick Theo like a miss-behaving dog.  
“You...are going to tell us everything about those poachers, and then we’ll drop you off at the nearest police station.” the sun shone behind his head, turning the sky orange and pink.

If Mag’s and Dylan are far away, then Theo doesn’t have to worry about them getting in trouble. But these stubborn wolves might be an obstacle. 

Try to keep your voice clear, don’t challenge them, don’t make direct eye contact.  
Theo accidentally made eye contact, but he averted quickly. 

Oh...fuck, shit crap fuck,“I don’t need you to believe me but if you’re trying to stop them then please look for a guy named Tua, please. He’s my friends uncle- w-we came to bring him back,” 

“Really? You and the deer fae? On your own?”  
The rebuttal Theo had died on his tongue, cheeks reddening in embarrassment. He sighed, still finding it hard to breathe in his state.  
“It was...honestly the decision was made in the heat of the moment.” 

Zendaya made a ‘hmph’, puffing out her chest; Theo had to avoid rolling his eyes at the difference in the species behaviour. “I’ll tell you everything, I can help you- I want to help you!”

. . .

Consuelo didn’t like any of this. Was it possible that he was wrong in judging the coyote? Maybe.  
Can he still risk believing him? That’s to be determined. 

“What are you thinking?” Zendaya pulled him away to discuss the future of Theo Patel.  
If he was being honest, Consuelo had half a mind to believe him. Emphasis on half. 

“I-I don’t know. He’s convincing, or at least he’s a great liar,” 

“Maybe that’s a thing with Coyotes?”

Consuelo shook his head, “We don’t know and we do not have time to find out,” He glanced back at the man tied to the tree; still watching them. He was shivering now, Ryuo had to take his jacket to search through it. 

I guess he feels the cold more than we do. Consuelo narrowed his eyes, more in search than in suspicion.  
“Let me talk to him, alone.”  
He didn’t wait for her to argue, instead grabbing the jacket from the root it hung on.  
The man stayed quiet, sitting like a mouse in front of a cat, Consuelo was very satisfied to be the cat in this situation. 

Resting on a conveniently placed log, he put the red jacket to rest, making sure it didn’t touch the snow. The 5:30 sky was getting darker and darker, but no one dared light a fire. 

“Can you tell me anything about the boat?” The wolf leaned on his hands- a listening pose, it didn’t make Theo relax any more than he already was - the coyote was a statue, eyes resting on a rock by his foot.  
“It’s poised along the river, I don’t know when it leaves but I do know that they’re headed for Beijing.” Theo looked physically pained when he talked, like every word was as disgusting as the mud beneath him. 

Consuelo seemed to consider this. Beijing was new, crucial information and if the boat succeeded in sailing past the borders and continent then they’d be able to follow, if at a distance.  
“So why are you involved again?” 

. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOw, She-Ra S5 hit me like a brick and I still feel like crying (yes boys do cry, but only over master pieces) I was so moved by Catra and Adora, like damn yes that's how things should be.  
> well...maybe not exactly like that.


	9. A learning experience for the ages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What fuckery is this? Theo's kidnapped, Wilde is still following Mag's and Korry is done with Foxes and their stereotypes of halfbreeds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> school only sounds good if i'm studying art in early Greece, sat in front of a window with my wooden desk, the sun shining into the room, and me using the most beautiful girl in the town as the reference for my latest painting, sure to beat Giotto, until Aphrodite shows up and begs me to paint her as well, only to be smited when she doesn't like it.

Wolves had a weird hierarchy, but it works. For them at least.  
Theo had a preconceived idea of what wolves were like, and while he wasn’t completely wrong, they were more structured than he ever gave them credit for. 

“Wilde still hasn’t answered, we have to assume that she’s gone radio silence for her safety. Sam, I need you to take over chief for scouting and tell her to swap with Carmen.” Zendaya hadn’t left Theo’s side, he supposed she was on babysitting duty, that or she had a new assistant. “Don’t touch that,” The she-wolf guided him away from a crate covered with a towel. 

“Can I get my phone back?” Theo attempted to converse with her, hoping his natural charms would work - Who was he kidding, he’d only ever had one boyfriend and two girlfriends (None of those relationships ended well btw).  
“Later,” Zendaya grabbed a knife off of an unsuspecting wolf, swatting his arm away when he tried to take it back. “You focus on helping me,” 

“Then what can I do? Other than following you or holding random things,”  
He was silenced with a look that said ‘Do what I ask, or else’.  
So he huffed, folding his arms, Theo let his eyes wander to the leader of the whole operation.  
Perhaps someone he knew was on the boat; but surely a fox friend would lead to a few problems with neighbouring packs. Wolves often couldn’t stand the sight of other monsters, vampires the most, but still, they’d be hesitant to let a Fox get so close to them. 

“So...you guys are just doing this out of the goodness in your hearts or something?” No answer, “I’m not asking for answers...just...thank you, It’d be nice if we could help each other more often,” 

Zendaya’s gaze (impossibly) grew harder, fierce and angry. She set a finger in his face, “You know nothing. So don’t try to act like you do.” She walked away faster than Theo could catch up to.  
While he didn't care what she thought of Theo himself, he wanted to make sure Wolves wouldn't believe Coyotes to be rude or distrustful. lord knows stereotypes haven't helped a lot of people (Cough, cough George Floyd, rest in power), So he wanted to make good on his name. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be- I'm sorry,"  
He gave his all into showing it through body and face language. a trait he noticed with a lot of them - while stone faced, their body language did a lot of communicating for them - and supposedly it would have to if half the time these guys can't use words to communicate.  
Theo himself was a communication kind of person; meaning if you don't say it, it'll go over his head. Coyotes can't really be summed up by a few words, and Theo's learning that he shouldn't judge wolves by their absence in all the violence other shifters had to endure at the hands of vampires, skin walkers, hunters and the moon during up till the 20's (1920's in case that wasn't clear).   


. . .

“So me howling will tell everyone exactly where I am?” Korry tried to make sense of Tua. he’d made himself the leader and no one bothered to challenge him or his planning skills.  
It bothered her to think that no other fox would speak their mind unless it was on the matter of wolves and her heritage, or their pride.

“It’ll tell your dad where you are; He comes running with your pack and boom, we’ll be out by the hour,” He’d lost the soft ‘this is a scary situation and you’re a child’ voice, instead being crude and deathly honest, letting his fur raise and his maw wrinkle when he was frustrated and barking to keep her attention on him. 

“Tua, they’ve got guns -maybe even silver bullets,” The ruder of the foxes reasoned. “Shouldn’t we try to do something about a few of the hunters so that we can actually make sure that, if the wolf even hears her, they’ll be able to get on the ship without dying,”

Korry acknowledged that begrudgingly and agreed, “I won’t howl if it gets anyone killed. They’ll find us with or without me,” She spoke firmly. 

“Do you smell him? Surely if he’s close - and with your advanced wolf nose - you’d be able to smell him.” 

“Stop assuming I’ve inherited wolf traits, this whole plan will fail if you put everything onto me being able to hear, smell, or howl!” Korry stood to pounce- more for show, her being in a cage did not help their point across at all. 

“Maybe pull your weight, kid, I don’t hear anything but complaints from you, halfbreed” Tua shot, he still sat smugly, a paw folded over the other as if he were someone way too important to care about this.  
The eyeballing contest was short lived thanks to the dust and smoke in the air, this and the fact Korry felt like crying and kicking the nuts off of the purebred fox dick. 

“So, if you could howl for us-”

“Wait, how do we know howling will work? The wolf might not be close, and those hunters might just kick us for making more noise,” A woman argued, “and she could get killed for her mixed heritage, not to mention attracting predators to a child in distress,” 

Fight after fight. Every time the Foxes came to an agreement they launch head first into another argument. 

“I’m not going to Beijing!” Someone to Korry’s left cried, 

“This has to work- come on!”

“We won’t stand for this!” a fox beside Tua thrashed in her cage. “Even dead we won’t stay down!”  
A ruckus broke out. The majority yelling at each other and the rest squabbling about what’s going to happen.  
Tua was trying to stop the screaming from reaching the ears of the hunters, shooting glares at anyone who barked at his friends.  
The temperature dropped more than before, shadows engulfing the room in darkness.  
Korry could feel the bars against her tail and hind legs, the sheer coldness of it made her skit to sit on the small towel she was given.  
Overwhelmed, alone, cold, scared. 

All adults in the boat had given way to animosity rather than logic or hope.  
The small fox could feel a rumble in her chest, a growing hole in her gut and the fur standing at her neck.  
She bared her teeth, growling like her mother would.  
“Be...QUIET!” Korry howled

. . . 

Fae don’t care.  
The fair folk move for fun, “Different is an adventure, but what is different when you’re 80, child?” Mag’s mother had once told her that during a lightning storm, the flashes were bright and lit up the world around the strikes.  
Esmeralda just looked at the world as if it were younger than she- as impossible as that could be for Fae - they all lived through the forest.  
“Forget to appreciate the small things and they’ll be gone,” Mag’s chided, even then her fangs were long and sharp, a trait loved by Fae of all ages.

The small thing was, Mag’s had a choice to make: Get more involved than she should have, or grab Theo and run.  
Dylan wouldn’t talk to Mag’s more than they could handle, and although guilty, Mag’s appreciated that, nodding along to the song of the wind and thrumming her hands on the wheel in beat. The sun chattered loudly, gossiping her chores to the birds and in return they shared their secrets, and the Fae woman was smart to ignore that chatter - nothing but talk of their homes and how they miss their families. 

From the twitch of their ears, Dylan could hear them too, a trait they received from their skin walker genes; but he made the mistake of looking in the direction of a crow when she spoke, and earned a glare from the queen herself. 

Mag’s huffed, weighing possible outcomes. Her heart was set on dropping Dylan and running to the nearest motel. But she had Theo’s car. And she cared about Theo.  
Mag’s cared. She had to.  
Kid has no one. Barely a house, or a job. He’s not happy and Theo has no one but the Fae and a few rotten Coyotes. 

“What are we doing for dinner?” Dylan had shifted back. When Mag’s met their tired face. A terrible idea that guaranteed the safety of Theo bloomed. Bloom. 

“You can’t be that mad at me,” Lichez bloom smiled that infectious grin. It had broken the cold exterior thousands of times. But Mag’s didn’t come alone, she had to wrap the fox in a compost bag just to hide that small fact. 

“Bloom…” Mag’s began, preparing a heartfelt speech to knock them on their ass. 

“Formalities, formalities. Call me by my human name,” They winked like a snake seducing prey, wicked and hungry- ready for a game they wouldn't really play, “It’s so much cuter when you call me that,” 

She didn’t show it, but Mag’s recoiled, “You’re not human, I’m not treating you like that, not in this life.” spreading her feet wider against the dirt and bracing her hands on her hips in a power move. 

“If I can’t be treated humanely...then stop acting like it.” 

Mag’s didn’t react except for a twitch in her foot. 

“Don’t think I’ve never seen it. You try so hard to take care of that coyote; but you can’t find it in your heart to really think of this as important,” Bloom gestured to the world around them.  
“That animal is nothing but a pet to you. And you’re so wound up in your guilt over it that you came to me? I want to laugh, Magnolia, I do. It’s…” A long exhale, “...truly pathetic,” 

Mag’s had Bloom pushed up by the collar and held against the Op shop wall, “Talk like that again and I’ll treat you like an animal,” Teeth bared, and head pounding as horns threatened to puncture through. 

“Put me down!” Lichez thrashed as if they were a white person against a gun. Her foot eventually collided with Mag’s shin, so the Fae released them.  
“I won’t join whatever you’re doing, and I have nothing to do with it! Take your violence and go!”

“Prove it! You’ve hunted before, what’s stopped you the last 23 years? Tired of rebirth? I bet you miss them!” Mag’s and Lichez pushed each other, the closest to a fight they’d had in a century. “This would be the perfect chance for you to live a full life!” The Fae was finally punched in the jaw, Lichez had had enough of being accused, called up for past crimes and petty punches. 

“You...truly have no reason to be mad at me. You hated my fucking guts after I killed that Fairy, but-”  
By then Mag’s had already prepared an assault, charging as deer - straight for the heart.  
Bloom fled in time, though not with their Gucci Jacket intact - was it Gucci? Or was it from that french sounding shop?  
Either way, Lichez scrammed to the nearest bar. 

Mag’s scraped at the concrete, feeling the moon rise to her back. That girl, she was silent.  
Eerie and chilling, she didn’t glare, she commanded.  
While the sun powered humans, Fae, horses and centaur, the moon directed Wolves, owls, bats, bugs and vampires- she had been challenged for not being as wise as the sun, and they had paid for their insolence and bad manners. 

The forest behind the car park went silent, a large predator was close. She transformed back and one twig snap later and Mag’s kicked the legs out from under the person responsible. 

“Ow! Hey what the fuck!” It was Dylan. They had dirt all over their body, even making their hair clump together and stick out.  
Mag’s fret over them and voiced her concerns and apologies, but the fox was having none of it. “Did you at least get what we need?” 

The Fae woman hesitated, shifting her weight onto each foot, “We’re getting pizza.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still don't know what I'm doing so advice on story telling is very much welcomed. 
> 
> also Black lives matter. fuck the police! and donate to charities that actually help people of colour.  
> Only reason we have pride is because of Marsha P. Johnson, a BLACK TRANS WOMAN, threw the first brick!


	10. Insecurities build and build

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wew, okay, Zendaya get's caught, Theo does some soul searching, Consuelo might have a great nose but flower knowledge saves the day bitches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I forget to mention this is a heavy slow burn? No? well shit.
> 
> SO, I had a bit of a hiatus. I've asked myself, "J, is this the beginning of you dozing off instead of writing?" Yes. Yes it is.

Consuelo had relinquished what new thoughts of the coyote he had. Right now he couldn’t afford to lose his child and a dozen other were foxes to some weirdos in Beijing.  
“Keep an eye on him, I don’t care, just don’t let him leave. I want him here and that is an order not a request.”

“Con, with all due respect,” Tunu side eyed Zendaya, they had put a hold on their fight to talk peacefully to Consuelo in hopes of changing his mind and being rid of the man, now being dragged around by Sarah while she checked bushes and trees for fruits- both eating and the fruit of finding someone. “We can’t let this guy drag us down or hold someone back, for all we know he could be a spy-” 

“That’s why I want him here. In the magic dome he...if he returns with information then all of this chasing, camping and calling around would be for nothing. I can’t- we need to stop anything from getting out; We’ve been quiet and avoided humans so much...I can’t afford things to go south.”  
Korry...his baby. 2 weeks ago she’d come out as a nonbinary girl (She/them pronouns) it had given him so much solace, if she only knew; Consuelo hadn’t told them- didn’t know how without making it about him...and anyway how could he begin? 

Part of the reason Consuelo and Penelope Reyez broke up, she couldn’t handle it...him.  
Bisexual? Questioning? Pan maybe? The idea that Con could love someone other than Penelope scared and angered her, made her protective of Korry, and resentful of the Werewolf she once loved.  
They would have grown so much closer, would have been able to celebrate together or just…he didn’t know.  
To say Consuelo missed her would be the biggest understatement of this milenia. 

“Sorry, excuse me-” Speak of the devil and he shall appear.  
“Out!” Consuelo and Zendaya ordered at the same time, turning to scold each other for it. 

The coyote tripped over his words, maybe even his feet with how he was standing. “I- yeah, but we heard a howl, the other’s think it was your friend?” the commotion outside seemed to speak for him as well, “-a guy asked me to come and get you-” The two wolves and Tunu shoved past Theo and out into the cold air.

“Start with that next time!” Consuelo leapt into gear, going full wolf and following the pack to the boat.  
Adrenaline coursed through his veins, pushing his limbs as he teared the dirt and snow beneath him. The sun had gone down, the dark gave a cover that Consuelo would remember to thank the moon for.  
“Are they hurting them?” The thought drove him faster, “I’ll tear their necks and throw them all into the lake!”.  
Barking and howls of war were met with equally ferocious sounds- guns...no...magic.  
A purple blast caught the side of the ship, rocking and throwing a few wolves into the water.  
Consuelo clawed onto the boat, unable to stop the reverberating from his neck as he prowled the deck, circling a hunter who pointed the gun to his snout, trembling hands but his smile ferocious and cruel - a man who looked forward to his first wolf kill.  
But Consuelo was no mere wolf. He was no man though his blood flowed as red as his ancestors before him- before the wolves, and just as proud. 

“You are a dead man,” He’d say, “No heart, no shame,” If he were that more eloquent, “Taking children...trafficking foxes across borders…”, had he one more second to think on it he’d ponder how many people from his town had been taken for trafficking. 

But Consuelo didn’t have time to think, no: No, he would scrape through every human, witch, hunter or whatever being created the magical shield and devised this evil, evil plan.  
With a snarl, the clash of teeth and gun, Consuelo fought tooth and nail to get through the wall of crates, people and his pack, to get even a metre closer to one of the rooms his child could be in. 

“I’m coming, sweetie,” and perhaps he would never let go. Maybe let her grow up in the pristine house of red bricks and fireplaces, a bed they could count on being warm and safe.  
Knowing what was now possible, he may shut out the entire world, wolf, fox and human alike; she’d like a pet snake right? A tuatara might benefit her well.  
No matter how much he liked that idea, Korry had been free spirited since the moment she heard the wind, “The offer of adventure,” his ex wife had called it. He could remember the tired smile and heavy eyes that followed; he may just have been the reason she turned the offer away, in hope of love. 

Blasts of purple light made searing pain emerge in Consuelo’s thigh as he leapt over a wooden crate of sun-knows what, leaving him tumbling unbalanced into the upper deck, missing his target (an armed man) and watching as Jalaal got shot in the shoulder twice with a gun, a wound they’d walk away from if they jumped over to land instead of into the river blindly, in pain and rushing head first to whatever safety he could scamper to. 

He ignored the sweet smell clinging to his leg as he prowled the deck in search of anyone with a key or even information to which room - but if it came down to it, Consuelo wouldn’t hesitate to rip out every door, with or without their help; oh, he’d leave them begging for mercy, crying at his feet as he held his baby nonbinary girl in his arms.  
She’d be home. 

They would be home and together. 

. . .

“6pm. Be ready.” He had told her, foreseeing a fight. How ambiguous.  
Be ready...to fight dirty, and kick at the knees? A war will start tonight, but what kind? when will that fight start or how it would go; Consuelo couldn’t predict anything and yet he grabbed enchanted dynamite instead of Tunu’s box. 

“But yeah,” Zendaya considered, un-pursing her lips and releasing the tension in her eyebrows, “It’s better than nothing.”

Even with her heart beating twice as fast as a human she could say she was close to a heart attack. Her head however, pounding so but calm, numb.  
Zendaya had a plan laid out in her mind; seeing what she could do to help was easy enough: Place the dynamite under the deck when all the foxes are taken back to the forest, the only problem? 

“Zendaya what are you doing? We have to help!” Tunu reached for the hand inside her jacket, the dark giving the too-large lump in the pocket a veil of invisibility. 

“I-I need to get something from the tent…!” Stepping back and turning to run to the tent to hide or find a better place on her body to at least conceal one of the few things he feared using most.  
“The hell do you mean, “I need to get something from the tent”? Zendaya!” Tunu kept yelling, he wasn’t as fast as her, but his voice carried well enough through the trees, “At least let me help, woman!” He received a pebble in the chest as her response.

For 30 seconds at most, Zendaya rummaged through bags of knives water pouches, and snack packs - she needed some flint, if that would even work - “fuck,” Zendaya wished she knew the basics of magic, in a time like this... In a world like this it would really help. 

“Come on...come on...please-”  
Tunu had entered the tent, a torch in hand and his old knife in the other, “What are you even looking for? How important is it?” The sound of the tarpaulin moving with his boots announced Tunu had stepped into the tent. He closed the flaps, sealing the velcro. 

“I don’t know, Tunu, maybe important enough that I’m sitting out a scrap to find it?!” Zendaya snapped, barely holding her wolf form from appearing to bite his head off a second time that very minute. “Go help Connie, I’m staying!”

Confused,“Just tell me! I’ll help” Tunu said earnestly, frustration evident in the way Zendaya heard his clothes shuffling around with him in a frantic search. His timberland boots nudging at bags and objects on the tent floor. 

And she wished she could. Wanted him to be able to get over his fear of messing with sacred enchantments that his family were very keen on keeping from him. 

Tunu’s own mother took a key to some unknown chest, room, gateway, perhaps hell at that point, to her grave, saying nothing but uttering a word of warning to Tunu as a gift.  
She couldn’t let him know what she was doing. 

Besides, enchanted dynamite against normal poachers on a boat would raise arguments from her, but magic, were foxes and Korry? Zendaya would steal an arrowhead from the clouds and sun to get her back.  
Enchanted dynamite will do. 

And they’ll be blown to hell for their crimes against the sun. 

. . .

Theo hadn’t complained too much, though when he would eventually reunite with Mag’s she’d get an earful. The wolves pushed him around, sometimes growling behind him, thinking he wouldn’t hear them; wolves aren’t the only ones with great hearing, but The coyote refrained from answering their rhetorical baiting.  
A few gave sympathetic glances, but deigned to meet his eyes. 

“Man I almost wish I could have something like this,” Theo thought to himself, envious of the friends gathered around a small heater, swapping theories, tales, inside jokes. Endless moments shared, the ability to count on them, just to talk and ‘hang’. 

Sure, Theo had Mag’s and her family, for maybe 2 years at a time, and even then she was pretty spotty; He tried not to hold it against them.  
Barely even saw Simran or Baljit anymore - they’re married, though not to each other, happy with what they’ve made for themselves, and successful with their jobs. 

He thought as he ran through every time he had called and they answered, when Theo’s car broke down on his way to canada. When his legs broke and the only emergency number was Cian, Mag’s younger brother - Sean drove up instead.

Theo could only watch, his heart growing heavier as one wolf drank from a canteen, only to spit out sun knows what. 

“What the fuck! Susan! Aan!” A small fight broke between them, no doubt Susan and Aan would win, despite not knowing who was Aan or who was Susan (most likely the white chick let’s be honest) but they both had significant size on the recipient of the canteen. 

Theo chuckled, but at his lack of focus, he was flicked on the back of his head.  
“Keep up,” The she wolf’s mouth curled with her scrunched nose. At first she’d been civil, keeping her hatred passive, now, with night setting in at quarter past six. 

It was a shrill howl that set everyone to stone, eyes wide and searching the faces of their peers, nearly asking “Did you hear that too?”.  
And as fast as the howl came, whatever anyone held was dropped, fires doused and jackets torn off in haste; Everyone sprinted for the river, for the boat, although it was invisible to the human senses, was where all the people here knew it would be. 

Theo tried to stop someone to pry what was happening and why they were attacking over an hour before the announced attack.  
In anger, half shifted, a wolf grabbed Theo by the collar, picking him off the ground,  
“It’s the pup. Get Consuelo and then stay out of it.” Then throwing him in the near direction of the tent he was by no means allowed in. 

Pushing down his anxiety, to his best extent, Theo scrambled to the velcro flap and leaned in; before he could finish his sentence, the two wolves ordered his departure.  
Sucking in a breath, Theo explained himself, only to be pushed aside again. 

“Start with that next time,” Consuelo, in all his fallacious alpha pride, he transformed into the wolf of legends and around the fire stories.  
Theo ran after him, not for Consuelo’s safety or to help the wolves more than they needed, but to take out as many hunters as possible, a small act for Dylan. 

“Shit! Mags!” Theo’s briefly glazed, as ideas of what could be happening to them right now flew past mille-seconds at a time.  
If she were smart, and Mag’s has a 50% chance of that, she’ll be able to pull the location of Dylan’s mother from the back of the edges of their fox-skinwalker brain and take them home.  
Theo, knowing her, knew she’d mull it over, consider the variables that affected her, then her family, maybe then Theo, despite his confidence in surviving this...well the wolves would have been easy.  
Whatever witches were on the payroll of this person were not worth their money. 

Theo had seen magic, had known witches to prank teachers during science and chemistry; this was a mockery of the arts.  
On the receiving end, or even amongst the crowd of claws and guns, it looked like they were being hit with small purple explosions that rattled the bones of the victim.  
What they actually were, is Gelsemium. They could tell because of the white after blast and the very sweet, flowery smell (stick honey in your nose and sniff an orchid or an old lillie, you get it), Those who inhaled a very concentrated amount or consumed even 12ml’s would experience (Talking about humans) headaches, diarrhea and the (rarely) paralysis of the body.  
Wolves it seemed, or at least Consuelo’s pack, had never smelt a Gelsemium flower and therefore couldn’t distinguish between magic nor flower, would fall to the ground, convulsing - foaming at the mouth and staring on frantically as their body’s checked out into a paralysis.  
“Great, awesome, fucking- Fuck!” Theo made a mental note to not breathe…, “Fuck, I’m screwed.” 

As a coyote he snuck around the outside of the boat, nosing for a way in. “I swear to fuck- to the moon if I have to! I’m never talking to wolves after this,”  
Rude and more than ready to toss Theo’s mangy ass to the snow to freeze to death, only playing nice for minutes at a time.  
He saw it in the way they stared after him, making sly comments to their friends.  
Maybe lesser in size, Coyote’s don’t have an enviable nose or senses, and maybe they all ran off at the first sign of hate...maybe Theo is unwanted.  
“Oh shit,” Theo contemplated, “It’s me isn’t it?” He knew at the core he tried to be a good person and even saw himself as as good a person like him could be.  
Doubts and insecurities battered him as he thought back to every time he’d ever punched Cain in the face when they were 18, or the fight he and his mother had- oh sun, his mother…  
Beatrice Patel, single mother, hard working, left with a runt of a son and no help...not even from Theo.  
And what did he do when he saw her passed out on the couch, a wine bottle on the floor and tears stained on her cheeks? 

. . . 

“Why can’t you tell me about this? Zen, the pack needs you,” Tunu wouldn’t let up, he just kept throwing reason and logic against her, but Zendaya was just as stubborn, if not more. 

“Why do I have to explain myself to you? The pack needs what I’m looking for and I can’t show you what it is,” Zendaya attempted to walk out of the tent and out run Tunu, or at least shift before he saw what would be moved to her mouth.  
Tunu’s shoulder collided with Zendaya, and his hands grabbed her torso, to pull her so that she was standing in front of him, staring down and grinding his teeth.  
With respect for Tunu, and fear of breaking his bones, Zendaya restrained herself, even as the moon called at her like waves on the beach at a starless night. 

“How-Zen…” Tunu’s hand brushed against her pockets, and Zendaya’s breath caught in her throat. Whatever explanations that had once been lined up, lay dry on her tongue. 

“Consuelo swiped this?” Zendaya nodded, unable to hide her shame at the silver sweeping his eyes. “This...I, I don’t even know what to say to you guys,” Tunu stepped back, a hand cradling his forehead; no doubt a headache had formed. 

30 seconds, maybe a minute: Nothing. Disappointment radiating off of Tunu, and Zendaya feeling everyone of her limbs, bones, freezing, as if the twitch of her finger would be scolded.  
“Did you even consider what this could have done?” 

“Did you,” She heard herself say, unable to stop herself and flinching at the heartlessness of it. But the deed was done, and Tunu was looming over her, a scowl etched in hurt and betrayal. 

“I’m sorry,” Zendaya said so quickly, her head bowing and shoulders following suit. 

She bowled into him, hand going for the dynamite and pushing him out of the way with her torso. 

“Shit-!” Tunu went down, pulling himself up not 3 seconds later.  
Zendaya had shifted, she made a b-line for the boat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Aren't you a little young to have seen phineas n ferb and been able to sing every song despite not remembering anything when trying to text your friends about it?" 
> 
> "No, I'm short, not 5."


End file.
